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When Word Processors Are Out: What's The Best Pen?
chensonny writes "Recently I was in a situation where there was no word processor, and several of us had to write, copy and sign a big amount of paper. It was then I re-realized the need for a good and comfortable pen. I saw some friends using a Mont Blanc, others like me using a felt pen or cheap ball-point pen. What does the geeks of Slashdot use for writing?" My favorite pen is an aluminum Lamy fountain pen -- can anyone recommend a good place to order Lamy ink in the U.S.?
The Logitech io Digital Pen and the USB Memory Pen.
These seem to be more for the rich geek, unfortunatly I'm only a poor geek. So I just use a Pilot Gel Pen.
Bugs are just features that have been fixed.
What is this pen device you speak about?
Uniball
Someone hates these cans.
One of those 4 color ball-points rocks for messy note-taking :)
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
I find that uniball makes pens that write very nicely, Bic makes very cheap pens if you're going for least cost, but overall, I'd have to recommend always having a word processor.
Esoteric reference.
cashiers and banks. Doctor's offices have cool pens from drug companies.
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These are excellent pens for the price- a 5-pack is $7 or so. Amazingly smooth and, uh... precise. Pilots are the best.
I don't know if they make one with a big comfy grip, though, if that's what you're looking for. I'm not sure if I like those big, comfy grips, though... they sort of make me feel like I'm in nursery school again, grasping one of those crayons that seemed to huge at the time. Wait, that's probably a good thing. I'll shut up, now.
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http://www.zebrapens.com/
For the truly geeky, check out the MaiDo japanese stationary store at Santana Row in the heart of Silicon Valley.. they have awesome pens and pencils of all types.
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Man, pens? This transcends geekdom. This is the domain of nerds.
- IP
I prefer the old mechanical pencil whenever possible. Besides being erasable, it has such perks as:
-- Use it to label disks, and play the fun game of getting conductive pencil shavings in your disk drive
-- Graphite + Wall Socket = Fun
-- Get to shake it when your one stick of lead finishes so the next one will catch, until you open it up to insert the lead in backwards (through the tip) because its not catching, and then when you open it the lead falls out and snaps
-- Injecting graphite into people
My wife is an artist of the old school.
The non-digital art world is amazing. The line of products that come out now are awesome. You have every possible pen, every possible paint, every possible medium. They even have photographic emulsion in a spray can so that you can expose images on 3d objects. It's way cool.
If you are in Philadelphia, do go to PEARLs (do you really need a better name than that!). They have a great selection of paper, ink, and other products.
This is my sig.
My writing is completely illegible.
Try the papermate Write Bros. Blue Ink Medium. I highly reccomend it, it writes well and the color's good.
Since when has this country used intellectual elite as a pejorative term?
I gave a fountain pen a shot a few months ago. I found it terribly hard to use. After a week of fooling I went straight back to my trusty rollerball.
Pentel Uni-Eye.
I think they're Pentels, at least.
The ink is very fluid, and the colored ones are fun because they are sort of transparent, so coloring in your doodles in class is nice.
Because the ink in them needs to dry a little, you may have to watch your hand if you're a lefty like me or you'll be stamping your last sentence on your essay again and again with the side of your hand. Depends on the paper.
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black paper mate pen ooOO ya ..10 cents unF
For my Lamy, I just got an optional cartridge that lets me refill it from standard bottled ink, instead of having to use the disposable cartridges. But considering how ink-stained my hands got back in those days, that might not have been the right choice.
I'm thankful that I almost never have to do handwriting anymore! I only started using fountain pens for everything because I would get horrible hand cramps writing with anything that required any pressure. It always through off my physics professors when I'd turn in assignments written in italic calligraphy on unlined paper.
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Pilot Dr. Grip
http://www.mypencil.com/mall/page55gelball.asp
It is all about the dr. grip
but thry are very expensive
The cheap ones. No grip, no nothing. So at least you don't feel bad for chewing it to a pulp.
I like the bic round stic medium or fine.
There chead so when you loose them you don't feel bad.
If you want a little upscale the clear pentel rsvp is also good.
I also have a LAMY roller ball yellow. Its for special occations!
I can't remember the last time I used a pen... Except on my WACOM tablet. Yea, WACOM is cool.
Very heavy, more momentum when you write (meaning you don't need to work as hard). Buy one of those little foam gizmos that slips on the barrel, and you'll have a fine writing instrument. They're warranted for life.
I'm a writer, so I have a bit of a pen fetish. I have used all sorts of pens, including some ver' expensive Waterman fountain pens, and nothing writes for me like the Sheaffer. It has a very smooth, very precise action and nice ink flow.
For other purposes I use fine-point Sharpies.
I am a believer of momentum and curves.
I've never seen much point in spending a zillion dollars on something as small and easy to lose as a pen. (Unless you could get one with a built-in GPS tracker that would alert you when someone walked off with it.) My pen-du-jour can be found in the stationery section of Wal-mart or K-Mart, and my requirements are simply black ink, rollerball (easier to push than ballpoint), dries fast (I'm a leftie), 0.7mm head (to leave a nice solid black line). Also good is having a window in the side so you can tell how much ink is left.
The pen currently in my pocket is a Pentel EnerGel 0.7mm liquid gel pen. I've also been known to use Pilot V.07 rollerball pens, but they can leak sometimes.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Here's one on my site that can write in red or black, .5mm pencil, hilighter, and pda stylus, all in one regular-sized pen-like unit. The ultimate geek pen?
I still use pen and paper a lot, especially for taking notes while I read and in the planning stages of a project.
6 .html
My favorite pen is the Zebra Zeb-Roller 2000 with rubberized grip. It is very comfortable to grip and writes well. I prefer the Fine point becaus the medium tends to bleed on paper sometimes.
Here is a link:
http://www.cleansweepsupply.com/pages/skugroup998
This place claims to be The World's Largest Pen Store.
Or you can always try good old fashioned Quill Pens.
If you can afford em that is.. There's also Cross pens which are very nice.
You should go to a "pen store" and take a few different sizes and shapes for test drives, see what works best for you.
A good pen is an important investment! (well, at least, I think so)
--
om Shanti
The mightiest pen is the penis.
I have used Parker and Mont Blanc ink in my Lamy pens without any problems. Usually, pens aren't fussy about the brand, although some inks are thicker than others (Mont Blanc), and may dry out more quickly if the pen is uncapped. www.levenger.com is pricey, but they have a good selection of colors (my daughter loves colors). Lamy cartridges are readily available in Europe. but I have never tried to mail order them.
They have pens in a variety of price ranges, ( about 50 bucks and up.. )
Nice pens.. even the inexpensive ones. Free service, been in business for ages..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
I used to use a Sanford uniball Gel Impact, but the ink runs out too fast...I found as a student, I can't afford to buy a new $2pen every 4 days. So right now I'm using a uniball Vision Elite. It looks very streamlined and writes as smooth as the Gel Impact but it doesn't use as much ink, so I'm going through one every two weeks. You can get refills too, at $2 for two. The pens themselves are usually $8 or $9 for a 4 pack. They're pretty. I've found Sanford's pens cost more (for semi disposable pens) but are well worth it. They're easy on my hands, too.
Sanford
I dont know man, i get all my pens from drug companies.
I have a big, fat, Mont Blanc fountain pen. Best pen ever.
Dont bother with a skinny one, and be careful as some of them seem to leak, but if you pick one that's good then you'll love it. No idea how much they would cost now, mine was about 300 10 years ago.
Edward
Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
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http://www.swisherpens.com/catalog/HTMLCatalog/lam y-ink-cartridges.htm
http://www.gadgeteerusa.com/products.asp?cat=4&sub cat=8
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http://www.penforyou.com/ZST6006PG30111CG6940.htm
-a
I like the Pilot VBall Grip...they are quite cheap, and very clean and fine: only 07
Speaking of which, I always like to go for the finest pens, since they are the neatest: anybody know of any gel pens (like the Pilot VBall) that are 5 or 6 mm?
The Pentel R.S.V.P. Med
and
The Pilot EasyTouch Med
They both cost about $1 each depending on how many you buy at once. The are both good pens, but I prefer the Pilot. I've had the plastic crack on the Pentel a couple of times and that makes it awkward to write with. However, i've had no such trouble with the Pilot. They both write smothly and are comfortable to hold.
Physicsnerd
I'm not usually one for complaining about the stories, but yeesh: I've been here for about as long as anyone, and this is the lamest one I can remember. Which is quite a feat.
* You are in the bank depositing a bunch of checks from Indonesian gardeners, and you find yourself inexplicably without a pen. There is a little ballpoint pen on a steel chain at a table inside the bank. You would:
1. Leave and return the next day;
2. Run to the nearest Wal-Mart and buy a Montblanc;
3. Use the ball pen, but sign someone else's name on the checks;
4. Not know what the ballpoint pen is.
* Have you ever been in an argument over the actual derivation of the trade name "Duofold"?
* When watching old movies on video, do you find yourself freeze-framing to try to get a closer look at the pen Humphrey Bogart is using? Do you in fact know what pen Humphrey Bogart was using? Would you be willing to tell me?
* Do you own any of the following items:
1. A pocket protector (and you're not an engineer)?
2. A glass eyedropper?
3. More than one bottle of household ammonia?
4. Blotter paper
* Do you keep a bottle of ink in your carry-on luggage? More than one bottle in different colors?
* Do you find yourself sniffing at the end of pens (to tell whether or not they are made of hard rubber)?
* Are your pens cleaner than your kitchen?
* Can you identify the pens shown on the boxes of various word processing software packages? Do you feel resentful when you don't find any of those pens inside the boxes?
Pen Geek Check
Doesn't matter what kind of ball pen you're using. just use the right ink cartridge, like a Senator or the likes. Parker does very nice ball pen ink, it's just a bit expensive. But if you can afford it, there's nothing better than a nice Parker.
The Pilot G-2 07 is, by far, the best refillable gel pen for the money. Just be careful -- your fellow workers, classmates, family... ANYONE.... will walk off with them if you're not careful!
I used a Waterman fountain ever since buying it for my university exams. It was a simple stainless steel jobby that cost about 40 GBP (~60USD). It came to an untimely end after trying to flick the last of the ink out and hitting the nib against my pad. I've look around for a replacement nib but they cost about 20 GBP which seems a bit steep.
I'd definately recommend the Waterman but watch out for costs for replacement parts. A good fountain pen with a ink-bottle refillable cartridge has served me well over the years. Better than those crappy Parkers I used to get through anyhow.
with purchasing Dr. Grip, even in quantity - its worth the comfort and control, IMHO. Wealthy family members use Parker '59 and bottled ink.
C|N>K
I use a GRIP PLUS!
----- Sorry for poor english, I usually speak Klingon -----
It was a zebra black fine tip i found on the floor one day, lasted me 3 years before it finally fell apart, which was amazing since it was in bad shape to begin with. i bought another one and was just as happy.
"I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
I use a 3 color multipen with mechanical pencil Rotring.
It's made of solid metal so it's heavy enough to hurt if you hit somebody.
It's hexagonal in shape, so it never rolls off a desk.
- 3 in 1 pen...some models come w/PDA Stylus
- Ink is cheap and easy to replace
- Fat, ergonomic grip to reduce cramping
- Pen costs around $7, which is good for extremely forgetful people like myself
Granted, writing with one is not an orgasmic experience. Nevertheless, I've been more than happy with mine, especially since (as a teacher) I frequently have to switch between red and black ink. My hand also frequently cramps up with smaller pens. My fat pen reduces a great deal of that. YMMVRelatively inexpensive, last a good while, and you can buy new cartidges and save the old pens. I have many of them littering my desk, blue, red, black and even aluminium cylinders for those rare times I have to write things out by hand. Great for signing checks as they don't bleed leak or smudge. Aside from that, a fine felt tip or something in the liquid ink variety. These do leak and bleed when used on checks, so they're better for notes in the margin, etc.
Pilot Precise V fine Rolling Ball.
Disposable, ink always flows, rapidograph-like mechanism, dark crisp lines.
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I would much rather have a pencil not only because it's eraseable (mentioned already), but because you don't need to worry about getting it on your clothes or it exploding. I would have to vote for the Cross Classic Century Pencil...
It's very comfortable, and lasts a long time. The only disadvantage is that it does NOT work as a small pry-bar...which is why I need to buy a new one ;)
--<Mike>--
ALWAYS carry a bic with you. They are useful if you ever have to practice a tracheotomy on anyone.
I found a cool site where the ppl are freaky about their fountain pens. It's a nice break from the bic. :-) www.ramblingsnail.net
I use a Rotring fountain pen with Waterman black ink for daily use. The Mont Blanc ink seems to dry to a strange shade of purple on yellow pad. I like the Rotring because I always loose pens, and they are reasonably priced. But I always keep a sharpie fine point and standard with me.
Has a nice feel in the hand and a very fine tip. A little pricey ($4.00), but worth it.
j.
At work I can write anywhere from 20 to 100 ACR's (Ambulance Call Reports) a week. My all time favorite cheap but good looking pen is a BIC retractable clic.
Not too skinny, and not too fat. Looks classy with the Hospital logo on it.
Use a pencil, it can even write in outerspace!
Pilot Gel Pens are *so* much nicer to use than ordinary Biros, it's not true, and they're far more convenient than fountain pens.
Try a Sensa Pen or Pencil for that matter. Both are rather nice, not too expensive, and cen be found in just about and stationary store.
Oh goodie! I would recommend multiple ball-point pen that has at least four colors (black, red, blue, and green). A couple of Number two pencils with tip covers, and of course this.
Pilot precise V extra fine
They have a great feel -- a nice, "floaty" feeling that feels almost like a real fountain pen (I used to have a Montblanc before someone stole it, the swine). They also don't dry out anywhere nearly as easily as a conventional BiC ballpoint. The one big downside: they scratch the paper if you press slightly too hard, which means writing on both sides of paper (unless it's really thick) is out of the question.
Honorary Member of Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Process Servers
Mens,
It is important to have big pens to satasfy your woman. Woman want big pens for pleasure. Our patanted pens enhancer apporved by doctor all over world. send $75 now for fantastic pens enhancer, or $50 if you already have piano wire and weights.
I recently found myself a favorite pen. Being in lawschool we have to take an ass of notes. I'm using a Pilot Needlepoint pen. It's simply amazing. Finest point you've ever seen so you don't get the blotchy lines when you write small. ;)
I really like the Bic Medium "Round Stick" ball point pens. (The old school white ones pens with black/blue/green/red caps.) They give nice easy to read printing, and unlike felt/uniball pens they don't keep spilling ink on the paper if you don't write fast enough. ie: you get big thick lines if you write slowly, thinner ones if you write fast, and a big blob if you stop writting for a second and leave it on the paper.
:) Needless to say I haven't bought one of these since I started business travel and probably have a life time supply at this point. ;-)
The ball point is consistant. It glides across the paper. The best part is it's popular with hotels as complementary pens.
yup
I've always been a rather large fan of the Pilot Bravo! Porous Point Pens myself. For a left hander, I've found them to have a very comfortable grip, and quick drying ink, so that I don't winde up with the black smear on my hands from the ink. They're also rather affordable, and they've got a semi-seethru chamber so you can tell how much ink you have left. Definately worth checking out.
I'm the absent-minded kind of /.er. If I lost a $100 pen (which I would), I wouldn't feel too good about it. Cheap pens all the way! Bic pens are good. I don't like Pilot, I tend to break them.
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I always carry my favorite pen. Its design has been attributed to NASA. It's about 3.5" long, chrome metal casing. It can write upside down, under water, through grease, and its ink filling lasts approximately 100 years and has an unlimited lifetime warranty...
Needless to say, I love this pen.
-- This sig for rent.
Pilot Dr. Grip Gel. Great pen, pretty cheap (under $10, IIRC) and really comfortable. It's great if you have large hands like me and your hand cramps when using thin pens. My hand usually gets really sore and cramped when using pens, so I was really impressed with this one. However, it goes through ink FAST, so make sure the store you buy it from also sells refills. I doodle a lot in school and went through the all the ink within 2 weeks.
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Pilot Dr.Grip is very good. ;) )
- Wide contoured comfort grip alleviates writing stress. (Significant for Lefties.)
- Commended for Ease-of-Use by the Arthritis Foundation.
- Retractable and Refillable. (Low TCO
- Good weight and balance.
Sad, really.
Bush: He's Liberal in all the wrong ways.
How much more geeky can you get?
And, as a sub-question, what's a good one for us lefties? Fountain pens are sure out (I struggled with one for a while but usueally only succeeded in scratching up the paper with no ink coming out or if it did came out it gets all over my hand...)
And pencils! Why is it so difficult to find a nicely weighted metal pencil? You go in a store and all they have are big fat plastic things with massive rubber grips. Give me something skinny but heavy (right now I'm using Zebra pens/pencils - they're the best i've found so far)
whatever I find on the ground. It may not work well in a work environment, but at a school, kids are always losing writing utensils. Of course, it's not always great. One time, I almost had to take an exam in gold pen...
I cant believe no one has mentioned Fischer SpacePen's. Underwater, in the rain, freezing, cooking---They...Wont...Ever...Give up..... http://www.spacepen.com/
...but any good gel pen will do. Gel pens have been a FANTASTIC development in pen technology in the past, what, 10 years? Beautiful dark lines from a cheap pen, and you don't have to press hard like a ballpoint, so your hand doesn't cramp up (at least, not from writing). What exactly IS gel ink and why haven't we heard more about it? Gel ink is a bigger change in an everyday instrument than triple-bladed razors are.
My favorite pen ever is the Pilot GX300. It is excellent in shape and feel on the hands. However, the Pilot G2 has the nicest point and it glides on the paper niceley. I plan soon to do some super geeky pen modding. I will use the ink and point of the G2 in the body of the GX300. And possibly add an LED. It is retractable, so the LED can go change from red to green every time I click it.
ph33r.
If I had a lot of money I would probably have some fine point personalized parker pens. They are teh awesome.
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Its free and better than a pen anyday.
Long Live The Fighters! oh and open source!
I've always bought Lamys since my first one. My collection now includes the thin aluminum pen/pencil set that looks like the air barrel cooler on a submachine gun. We got a fountain pen Lamy that only cost $25, and it wrote better than a $100 Parker.
Being in Heidelberg it was always easy to find parts and ink. I'm reading other comments to find them now that I'm in the U.S. again.
I have yet to find a better pen. I use the fine instead of the micro, some people find the fine to be too thick of a line but the extra width just makes writing more comfortable. With any other pen my hand writing looks like absolute crap.. with the omniball it's sexy.
...which is so large, heavy, and odd-shaped as to be virtually useless to write with. Sidewalk chalk would probably be easier. Semi-ok idea, horrible execution...a scanner gets the job done much better.
While obviously not appropriate for legal/financial docs, I prefer mechanical pencils, in part because, as a left-hander, ink often doesn't dry fast enough(one wonders if this is one reason some asian languages are up-down, not left-right; it's left/right hand neutral!) I used to use a mechanical pencil which was made by a japanese company(I think? Possibly German?) that had a retracting tip; pressing the clip made the entire mechanism retract, protecting your leg/shirt/jacket from the sharp tip. Excellent, simplistic design- and the whole thing could be disassembled for cleaning or unjamming.
There's also mechanical drafting pencils, but that's a little too die-hard for me. Excellent control over line thickness, and very durable however.
Please help metamoderate.
I personally own the Minx style Sensa. It's extremely comfortable. In addition to the comfort aspect, it's geek friendly with it's stylus on top for use in PDA applications. Add to this the fact that it uses pressurised cartridges for the ink so you can write at any angle , on any surface, and even under water.
I'm extremely happy with it and wouldn't want to own any other pen.
The Pilot Dr. Grip Pen because it is cheap, refillable, and most importantly: comfortable and easy to hold.
My ex gave me a fountain pen that she claimed was standard issue in schools in Geneva (possibly in France, though).
They were plastic ended with stainless caps and came in a bunch of colors. I can't seem to find them anywhere in the US or the web. I think they may be Penguin, but I'm really not sure.
Anyway it was a nice pen and tough as nails. I finally killed it when I smashed it with a rocking chair.
Anyone have any info on these things?
I also had another fancy pen (Caran d'Ache), but it wore out pretty quickly. I don't think it was meant to be carried around like I did.
Actually, my favorite pens are my own :)
One of my hobbies is woodworking, including using a lathe. So I turn my own pens. It's kind of anti-tech, but you know what they say, if you want something done right....
Punctanym: alternate spelling of words using punctuation or numerals in place of some or all of its letters; see 'leet'
I have a LAMY cp1 tri pen that I really love. I even have stylus tips for it.
The best place I have found to get ink for my LAMY is Executive Essentials.
For a rollerball, I prefer the Tombow. The refill is very smooth and every Tombow is very comfortable to write with. For a fountain pen, a Pelikan is a great workhorse and very smooth. For a mech. pencil the Parker Duofold, exceptional quality and a large eraser. But if these are too expensive, I'd go with a Uniball or something with the Schmidt Retractable roller refill, A cheap Pelikan for a fountain pen, and BICs for mechanical pencils. I have tested hundreds of writing utensils and have hundreds in my collection and these are the ones I always come back to.
The link is just another goatsex type thing. For get it.
NewEgg.com is giving away a really nice brushed aluminum pen with the purchase of certain items, you can see it here. I haven't been able to find the manufacturer of the pen to buy it directly from the manufacturer or reseller w/o the NewEgg.com logo.
"This has caused problems for my credit union (scanned checks show up as blank when people view them via online banking), as well as my employer (scanned documents show up blank)."
But your honor. I didn't sign that non-compete. See!
I tend to be pretty snobby about the pens I buy, which is a shame, because I lose an assload of them. With that in mind:
The Pilot Razor Point is cheap enough to be bought in quantity, and has a hard plastic nib a little like a fountain pen. It has a nice scratchy feel to it.
The Cross Ion is considerably more expensive. It'll run you about $20 for a pen if you buy it at Staples or an equivalent store. It's also not that fun to write with, honestly - too small, hard plastic with edges in the wrong places. However, the pen telescopes shut and has a small ring-clip for attaching it to your keys, or the inside of a 3-ring binder.
...and what if you have no computer?
Almost any pen will write acceptably well, so the pen I carry was chosen for different reasons. It was the one my Girlfriend gave me for christmas.
For the record it is a Waterman fountain pen, that I have filled with black ink. I think it cost her about $20.
I know things are slow (no pun intended) in the computer industry but this is the worst question I have ever seen on /.
I'm a lefty, and I write fairly quickly. That means that I can't use most roller-ball pens because the ink doesn't dry fast enough and it makes my writing not as crisp as I'd like it to be.
Two years ago I picked up a Sheaffer Prelude ballpoint pen at Staples, and I haven't looked back. It's relatively inexpensive ($30 Canadian), but mine has a very nice deep metallic blue colour that makes it really stand out. It also has a heft that I haven't been able to find in any other ballpoint pen. It's like writing with authority.
"Max, come over here. French-Canadian bean soup. I want to pay. Let them leave me alone." - Dutch Schultz
Some of us pre-alpha types prefer some of the fatter pens with cushioned barrels. Sensa looks nice and is high tech. Also high priced. I haven't tried it. I prefer parker ball points. They just came out with a new gel rollerball refill which is as good as the Pilot G2 gel pen which is probably the best gel pen there is. It also has a wider barrel and cushion grip.
What I can't find are pens with titanium barrels which would be an ideal material to make pens out of. Strong and lightweight. There are a few handmade titanium pens being made but they come with unknown refills and what's the point of owning a nice high tech pen that can't write well.
Most of the places online that sell pens, sell mainly retro fountain pens. You might as well go to Staples or Office Max and order them (their in store selection sucks) as their catalog selection is about as good as anybody's.
I like the Sheaffer Award. It's a low end model with a steel nib, but it has a nice rubberized grip.
I prefer those pens that imprinting companies send out as samples. Recent ones are nice and large, easy to hold, and they even look expensive with goldplated trims.
This thing rocks I have had it for around 4 years now, it writes upside down and easily on a wall.
Fisher Space Pen
Only bad part is I have to order the ink cause the refills are pressurized. Great pen though.
The Swedes know how to make pens.
As somebody working in a field where ballpoint pens and chalk are still the most important instruments (ie mathematics), I swear by Ballograf Epoca pens and am lost without them.
Plus, they aren't extremely expensive, which is helpful if you are like me and pens have an expected lifetime of maybe a month before they are misplaced.
I;ve heard others say great things about expensive fountain pens, but I've worried about flying with them. Can you use them on airplanes? Fountain-like ink pens often leak (quite messy) when dealing with pressure differences seen in airplanes. Sometimes it can ruin a pen.
-Sean
It's got excellent smooth gel ink, a comfortable grip, and pulls apart to expose the point. So you can snap it open, scribble, close it, and throw it in a pocket...all with one hand and without getting ink on anything.
Cheap, too - only about $20.
"I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing."
Pilot G2 Gel pen is the best there is. Inexpensive, and free flowing ink that will allow you to write a lot without friction. The .07 size or the .05 size black ink is the standard. Never use a standard cheap ballpoint (bic) when you can use a flowing G2. The .07 is my preference, because I like thick ink flow on paper, and the .05 I could use for technical drawings, or where I can't have a lot of bleed. The only negative thing to these gel pens is the fact that when you write on glossy surfaces, the ink doesn't soak into the page like the standard ink pens do.
I am left handed and this is the only pen that I like.
Like many left handers I grab the pen fairly close to the tip. Bics, or any of the expensive status pens are not comfortable.
Also, as a left hander, I tend to smudge the ink, so I need a fine point that doesn't dump too much ink on the paper.
I am surprised that more companies don't make sure that left handers can also use their pens comfortable - I don't think any other aspect of the design is compromised by becoming left hander compliant.
I use this pen for just about all my signing et cetera; very comfortable.
I'm a huge fan of Sensa pens. They're well balanced, have a nice grip, and use space pen ink, which I'm also a big fan of. They're not cheap... start around $60, so not something you want to get if you're apt-get to lose things. (Get it? Apt-get! Haha!). However, they're the only pens I can write with and not wear out my wrist.
--Bennett Prescott
Former Lord Of Packets
FYI...a less expensive alternative is made by Koh-i-Nor (~$10, plastic)
My person favourite are the Lego Writing System Pens. The Anakin Skywalker Pen has an ergonomic barrel similar to the Pilot "Dr. Grip" Pens. They write reasonably well, plus you can take them apart and play when work is getting boring.
First I would just like to say that this topic is totally irrelevant. It's a pen. It works. It's fine. I think that based on the size of your hand and the "posture" of your writing (by which I mean the way you grip your pen) the optimal pen for you may be the cheapest BiC or it may be something real expensive.
That aside, I recently won a Fisher Space pen. With the cap closed, it's a bullet (about 2 inches). With the crap stuck on the back, it's like 4 inches. The grip is a spiral engraving (fine enough that you can use it to file your names, in fact).
More importantly, the ink (about $5 a refill). It's obviously more viscous than regular ink due to some additive that is in there. The ink is guaranteed to not dry up for a century. It's also guaranteed to write in freezing cold (I didn't think that was relevant, but Carl {the genius behind suck.com and plastic} who grew up in Minnesotta said that used to be important to him). The ink is pressurized, meaning it does not rely on gravity in order to come out. You're probably not going to zero-gravity areas, but sometimes the only flat surface is a vertical one like the wall, and the space pen is good at writing on a piece of paper that is vertically aligned with respect to gravity. The ink is also promissed to work underwater, but I never had the need to test out that aspect of it and hopefully not going to.
Another obvious benefit of the space pen is the conversation piece aspect. It readily draws up a Seinfeld reference, and if you've got more time, you can tell the story that ends with "... and the Soviets just gave their cosmonauts pencils"
Ecce Europa - Web Design for Business
Just found a stash of them in my school bookstore a year or two after their discontinuation. A godsend. Great for chewing on and an amazing writing instrument. You can even take off the clip and any other exztraneous pieces nonessesntial for writing.
I will die with one of these pens in my hands.
---- The real Slashdot is still here. You just have to browse at -1 to read the comments.
Personally, I have an affinity for the Zebra F-301 and the Zebra M-402 mechanical pencils.
You can have my zebra when you pry it from cold, dead hand.
At midnight, all the butchers And the cafeteria crew Go out and chop up all the cows For beef & guinness stew...
Like a hybrid between a fountain pen and a ballpoint, with a nice pointy nib but without the blotching of the paper :)
I'm mad about the things.. Have 3 spares ATM.
Expensive, yes, but there are some good copies around with the same solid feel and weight for a fraction of the price. You just miss out on the snow on the cap.
I had the same questions when I recently went back to school. Here are my favorites:
1) PhD by Sanford - Good, big pen, w/ large rubber grip. Made of hard plastic and rubber. Very strong. See it here
2) Parker Jotter - A thin, but very strong metal / hard plastic pen. Metal clip. Not very comfy, but stron as hell.
Link Here
3) Parker Reflex - Larger barrel than the Jotter, but not nearly as big as the PhD. Rubber grip. I like the size / shape of this pen, but the plastic barrel is flimsy, and the clip breaks easily. Link Here
Zebra pens are really awsome. The gel-ink flows out super easy, you barely need any pressure at all.
I've tried hundreds of pens, and I like Zebra pens the best. They are like $25 for a pack of 12. Get them in any store like Office Depot.
- Voxel
Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes
And extra ink thingys are easily available and cheap.
Give the man a fish and he owes you one fish, teach the man to fish and you have just lost your fishing monopoly.
I've waited more tables than I care to remember and have used many many pens.
At one point I had a gold Cross that I used when I worked at a 4 star italian restraunt but it eventually got thrashed pretty good. After that I just went back to the good ol Bic Blue's.
They write great, can be used to punch open boxes and other things with no guilt, when you lose one/it goes dead/vanishes into someone elses hands you simply pull out your box and get a new one.
Yeah.
Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
FountainPenHospital is an excellent source of fountain pens. I like the Krone (USA), MontBlanc is like the Audi of fountain pens - if you have the money, try Yard-o-led (UK) the viceroy pen is soooo sweet, Pelikan (Ger) has nice nostalgic pens that have not change much in the last 90 years, Namiki-Pilot have the vanishing point, which is a very sturdy, no thirls fountain men. Also Rotring (Ger) for all mechanical metal pencils. Parker has all silver fountain pens at a reasonable price, but I still prefer the Yard-o-led. I've bought quite a few pens from Fountain Pen Hospitals and the prices are not bad. There is also a nice fountain pen store near Plaza Catalunya in Barcelona, on the back of el corte ingles, interesting collection, well worth a visit if you are in BCN. I saw several good stores in Paris, but I can't remember the names and it will be too hard to explain how to get there. The prices were good.
It's the only pen I use for technical stuff - it writes on PCBs. American ingenuity at its finest, which we invented for use in a zero-g environment. The Russians used pencils.
"If it ain't broke, you ain't doing yer job!" - QA Manager's motto.
i have a mont blanc meisterstuck fountain pen - it magically arrived on my doorstep one day, from an unknown sender. best writing instrument ever, with the right paper at least; the ink turns cheap paper to pulp and clogs up the nib.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. - Aldous Huxley
I've got a ball-point pen, and a pencil with 0,5 mm leads from Waterman. I've had them for about three years now.
I use them everyday in school and at home. They're excellent! The pen fell apart once, though. The lady in the shop suggested that I might have dropped it in the floor to many times, but I hadn't. Anyway, they had lifetime guarantee so it was shipped to someplace abroad and fixed.
I bought them at Gleerups in Lund (Sweden) for about 600 SEK (approximately 60 euros) i think.
Hi,
my favorite pen is a Lamy safari. I use it with a Z25 Converter. It's basically a small pump wich lets you refill the ink with any standardink. Works great, and good for the planet. By the way, Lamy really rocks. Great design and durability.
I love the Fisher Space Pen. I carry the original model around in my pocket nearly all the time. It's very compact when stowed, it writes in any position (even upside down) and is shiny and cool looking. ;-)
I also have a matte black version with the Smithsonian logo stamped in gold, which is also snazzy looking.
Check out my eclectic infosec blog at InfoSecPotpou
My problem is one of colors.
I make calculations in pencil, documents in black, and mark-up drawings in red and green.
When I leave my desk, I take my Rotring - pencil, black, blue, red. (OK, no green, but blue works in a pinch.) Also, it looks nice and I don't need a pocket protector.
I think I need a new sig here.
Check Snopes for the lowdown...
Bic fine point black. Simple, effective, interchangable, can buy a box of them for less than one of those fancy pens you have to worry and fret over when you lend it out. Or whatever else you can steal from around the office. Easier than writing in blood, when the ink runs out, throw it away instead of you.
these are consistent, give nice easily read black lines, and don't give some of those nasty ink balls that other gell pens do. all in all, it's great for writing, drawing and looking official
Cheap as fuck (I don't remember exact prices, but it's gotta be something like 10 for a dollar or two) and very reliable. I use them all the time.
Beware of the cheap knockoffs, the ink doesn't dry fast enough and smudges all over the place, even for a right-handed person (ie, when you write the next line, you smudge the previous line).
My favorite pen for technical work is the Namiki (retractable) fountain pen.
:a miki.com
For technical work or signatures, I recommend any ink other than black. I prefer blue (royal blue is great); I dislike "weak" blues, e.g. Schaeffer's lighter blue fountain pen ink. The reason I would say to avoid black is that it is obvious at a glance when you are looking at originals versus copies. Might not be a general issue, but when you've got lots of docs, it helps.
The Namiki has a very fine tip (I understand that other tips are available), but the tip is really, really fine. That's what you want for sketches and drawings and diagrams.
It's the only retracting fountain pen I know of. It has a pocket clip, and a press-button at the opposite end of the pen's tip ("nib"). Push it, and the nib retracts into the pen at the other end. Now, you can put it into your dress-shirt pocket. All the convenience of a ball-pen in a fountain.
Also, this pen will take both cartridges, and also comes with a mechanism to draw-in bottle fed inks.
Link for the Namiki "Vanishing Point" Collection
http://www.namiki.com/vanish.htm
http://www.n
Sam
http://www.iamsam.com
They're weighted really nicely, and they fit great in the hand, doesn't cause your hand to cramp up. Pretty reasonably priced too, about $20 US or so.
They have your standard plastic, stainless steel, and lacquer models, but they also have really good limited edition ones, such as titanium (sooo cool, but not weighted as well as the stainless steel), copper and aluminum.
I believe there's also a combination pen/stylus model for you PDA users out there.
Because, "Life is too short to carry an ugly pen!"
Pencils (standard Pentel) with HB leads are ideal. No problems with leaking in the heat or failure to write in the cold. (OK, this is Ohio, so it's "in the cool", since we aren't granted winters any more...)
I'm always losing pens, and I need something standard that's easily replaceable. I prefer the cheapest round-barrel plastic Bic-clone pens. They're "disposable," and cheap enough that they don't need refilling. I can get 14 pens for 89 cents at my local office supply store, and most of them even work for a while.
Get off my launchpad!
I have tried many different kinds of fountain pens, and I just recently got a LV "Jetliner". It is by far the best. Great, smooth ink flow, good looking, the right weight. It's great.
They are american made out of turned metal, and have a presurised ink cartrige that will work under water, and in the weightlessness of space.
Only $10 to $60 depending on model.
It's the uber-pens.
More info h
Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.
Seriously. The Rapidograph (long may it reign) was the discerning engineer's mechpencil, but a force-20 babe repeller.
What pen says "cool, rugged, yet sensitive to *her* needs"?
The Pilot G2 is a smooth rollerball, much more comfortable than a ballpoint. It's also way cheaper than a fancy pen, and refillable. What more could you ask?
Blood. No one breaks those contracts.
Love,
Satan
Rock!
1. Buy bottles of Tippex
2. Call it ^H
3. Sell to geeks
4. ???? ( redundant)
5. Profit !!!
I believe the punchline to the story is that NASA realised the carbon dust would potentially short the electronics. Bad news in orbit. The Rooskies had bigger electrical components less susceptible to the effect.
One is the Uniball Gel Impact-RT, the other is the Pilot Explorer. They're both inexpensive but a little hard to find; but the simple reason they are essential is that their clip mechanisms assure that you cannot clip the pen into your pocket without retracting the point.
This prevents ink damage to your shirts, and obviates the need for a plastic pocket protector, which is a well-known obstacle to engineer procreation, or even dating.
I must have mistakingly found this article on the best type of pen to write with.
Could someone please direct me to the Slashdot Web site?
The next comment I write will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
The best pen I have is a cheap blue pen I snatched a few years back from the Microsoft booth at CEBiT. It has a huge Microsoft logo and .NET printed all over. I use this pen several times a week and I must say this is the best damn Microsoft-product I've ever seen. If they had this kind of quality in their operating systems the world would be much different.
My Microsoft-pen proves that everyday!
Ciryon
A medium-cost Parker fountain pen is the pen of choice for me. (By medium cost I mean about 35, I can't remember exactly how much or what model it was because it was a long time ago I bought it.) It writes very smoothly and the combination of gold (plate), brushed steel and black is just too cool. I like the way their cartridges have an "emergency reserve" thing so that you don't just run out of ink at a crucial moment, too. Having said that, they're pants for writing on CDRs.
"'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'"
- JRR Tolkien.
with gel ink. it's the only pen I use on a regular basis.
but any gel ink pen is better than a regular one. the point glides over the paper in a way that cannot be described.
very nice when writing quicly and precisely.
i didnt really read the post but i saw "word processors" so im going to go on about how word processors suck, especially ms word, but open office is good cos it's free as in beer but don't use kword cos qt license sucks cos their fascists, then I'm going to bang on about how I use tex because I only ever use the command line on my gentoo boxen cos im so frickin leet, despite the fact that ive never actually seen tex in real life and im not entirely sure what it is. why do you people use oracle when mysql does everything for free?
i make my own charcoal sticks because i don't need all the bloat like plastic cases and it's truly free as in speech and beer, so im not lining the pockets of sun or micro$oft, who i hate.
Unfortunately that one:
1-Misfires when played with too much.
2-Slow to refill.
3-Reacts badly to the cold, and negative comments.
4-The owner is never satisfied with the one he has.
5-Needs lots of help to perform when it gets old.
6-Is rarely seen in public.
7-The reservoir needs to be checked by a specialist.
8-Occasionally a defective reservoir needs to be removed.
9-Is often involved in contests that go badly.
10-The owner is often reminded that it isn't the size of the "writing instrument" that counts, but what he writes with it.
One problem with the standard Lamy ink iirc - it's erasable. We used to use Lamy Safari pens almost exclusively in school - still my favourite pen. We also used to use a chemical ink remover. So...since the post asked about signing documents - standard Lamy (erasable) ink is not what you are looking for. On the other hand, iirc, pelikan ink used to fit - again check the erasability.
Frank.
The only pen I get anymore is a Dr. Grip from Pilot. It's larger than a regular pen for better holding and writes very nicely! They have cool colors and chrome if you're into that sort of thing...
I am a poor geek, but I scrounged and saved until I could afford the cheapest of mont blanc's. I have not regretted it.
I use the ole nudie pen. Sorry but somebody had to do a porno joke.
g
www.chocolatefantasies.com/ClickNStripFemale.jp
For writing correspondence (I'm a little old-fashioned like that; to me, if it's a quick-note thing, I'll send an email. If it's important, I'll write some proper letters on good paper and all that) I like to use a relatively soft-nibbed Waterman, just because it's fairly easy to work with and produces this nice, expressive line - that and I really like that Waterman Blue Black.
For taking notes, though, or just generally whenever I want to use a black ink, my choice is a Rotring Rapidoliner - it has all the benefits of any other technical pen - ultra-fine lines that don't bleed (0.18mm!), water resistance, and more - but it doesn't have the drawbacks (nibs jamming, maintenance, restricted writing angles). When you're done you just throw the whole cartridge away.
The Fisher Space Pen has pressurized ink and is waterproof. You can write upside down and in zero G. You can even write underwater.
"My God, this must be a truly remarkable corn chip, to be so widely and confidently touted."
I have a Fisher Spacepen, which is great if you like writing upsidedown. It's expensive, but I can store it for months and then use it again with no problem.
I must admit that for the most part I do write with an old Staedtler Mars 780 mechanical drafting pencil that I used in high school over 20 years ago. Or else I just pick up whatever pen just happens to be within my reach.
"Flag on the Moon, how did it get there?"
Pilot V5 Ultra-Fine, in Blue
Phus. Sysiphus.
I used to have a mont blanc but I lost it. It really was not my favorite pen. I mostly used it to hand write notes and letters. I use a glass pen for that purpose now.
The best disposable pen is the bic or papermate roller ball. You really have to try the brands and find the one that fits you style. I know that the gel ink pens are all the rage, but I believe that is because the come in pretty colors
When you think about it, it takes only a few disposable high end roller balls to pay for a waterman. If you can avoid losing th pen for a year, it pays for itself.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
definately the best pen that i have ever used is the uni-ball vision elite. very fine point, .3 mm, and an amazingly smooth ink flow. the ink seems to jump of the tip, and for those of you who are like me and never put any pressure on your pen, this is the one for you. they are cheap too- a pack of 3 for $8.
definately a pen to have as a backup pen, but i find it best to use everywhere because it is so light and portable that i can always keep it in my pocket and rely upon it.
The Parker Jotter, hands down, is the best pen for the price. It's typically US$ 6.00, and one refill will usually last until you loose the damn thing... it's available in ball-point or gel ink (the latter is more inky for those of you who like that) and fine, medium and the larger width (hard? thick?)...
Best investment I ever made.
The funniest thing is that most people seem to assume that this is a cheap knock off (especially the ones who "should" know, you know the usual show-offs).
Love, it, that plus black ink and I can write.
If you want to e-mail me, use my PGP Key.
I've used Bic Cristals for a decade now. I love how the gripless ones feel. I have average hands but I hate holding fat pens or anything with a grip.. I love the feel of the hard plastic and the control it gives me. I have no problem gripping plastic, and I can shift it around when I need to without rubber slowing me down. And they always work, and they're cheap. I lose a lot of pens.
It's the best ballpoint pen ever! They don't make them anymore. Recently, I found a place that had a few left. I bought up the entire stock (24 pens)! If you find any place that still has them, buy whatever you see.
Agreed! :)
And my favorite addition: the Pentel Click Eraser. I seldom use a mechanical pencil without one. It makes the cleanest erasure I think I've ever seen. It doesn't work so well on traditional pencil markings, though...
I use a 0.7mm Gel Grip. The ink feed is a little on the heavy side for someone with small handwriting, but it writes so smoothly... I haven't found a pen that writes better, so for now, it stays.
"Blyerts" is a Swedish word for black lead or graphite. Offtopic is not. Unfair I label you.
MarsMicro 775 0.5mm 2B + Staedtler Plastic Eraser.
From Deutschland. Vorsprung durch Teknik and all.
you should get that taken care of.
I know one of my favorites is dipping a wooden twig in feces - it's definately cheaper than a bic and people are less likely to jump at the opportunity to erase my work.
Small barrel forces me to concentrate on writing better (good for poor handwriting), ink is permamnent as soon as it dries, makes a nice, fie line.
I'm an essay writer andin my honors american literature class, the teacher wants each of us to have a good pen we like. I personally enjoy using any one of the Uni-ball "Free ink" pens. There are 4 kinds of those. I use the Uni-ball "Vision" and the Uni-ball "Vision Elite". Their inks are VERY smooth and my hand doesn't cramp when I write for a long period of time. Try it out and see if you like it. =)
Here's the link: http://www.uniball-na.com/main.taf?p=1,3,1
http://www.palmzone.net
All I want from a pen is that it never leaks all over my clothes. Any suggestions?
From TruthOrFiction.com via Google cache
"When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C.
When confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil."
What's your favorite toilet paper?
//SaVa
Has anyone tried the Kyocera ceramic ball pens? I've always wanted to know how well they write.
I once got a refil for a Lamy pen at the Colorado Pen Company. I bought one at a store, which they no longer have in my area. You can still get them online at ColoradoPen.com.
- PDA
- watch
- USB memory device
- laser pointer
- pocket knife
- screwdriver
- pocket-multimeter
- television remote
Just pointing out some possible exceptions...Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Pentel Hybrid Technica - cheap and fine, perfect for my geeky tiny scribble.
A 2001 pen from Los Alamos National Bank.
- Barrel is as thin as a wood pencil. Preferably no grip.
- White eraser, the kind that works well and doesn't tear up the paper. Preferably an extra long one.
- Optional: Cusioned tip - I think this prevents breakage, if it does then I want it.
I'm not sure on graphite strength. I want whatever breaks the least. I've seen new types of graphite that are supposedly stronger than normal. Anyone have advice?Holds an ass load of ink, writes like a dream, and has the coolest and perhaps geekiest damn filler mechanism ever. mid-late 50's pens have always written best for me, though the early sixties pens are also pretty good. The Triumph and Touchdown nibs always seem better than the conventional nibs as well.
Check out a tech brief here.
Snorkels are readily available on e-bay, and for some reason don't seem draw high bids from the colectors. Expect to pay $25-$50 for a good functioning used snorkel, depending on the amount of gold and wear. If you are willing to learn how to fix the suckers (not that hard(pun intended)) you can get them for $10 or less, and often in better aesthetic condition than "working" pens.
Here's a quick and dirty tutorial on repairing snorkels.
enjoy!
A Call For A New Slashdot Moderation Level!
I've had marvellous fun with Lamy plastic fountain pens: big and fat and the cartridges hold lots of ink. The bladder that comes with it is really very handy and the smooth nibs are just brilliant. I'm a big fan of broad nibs, and, since I'm a physics/mathematics student, my terrible handwriting is much less important than making short strokes readable. When the writing itself is gorgeous, for some reason, the math is easier to understand. Pencils are the way of the heathen. Mostly, it has to be soundless or it's distracting, and pencils make the most annoying ikki-ikki-ikki noise.
Fountain pens quickly develop into something of an obsession, though, but once you've experienced what real pens are like you can't possibly buy those horrid ballpoints and rollerballs. And don't even get me started about disposables.
And, people who don't use fountain pens never see the cool colour gradient effect that happens when you change cartridges and watch the colour slowly drift from the old to the new ink. It looks gorgeous.
I think it's mostly a mental thing. If you have a good pen, you won't lose it, and you'll think twice before you write stuff down. It's like a small internal quality control filter.
Also, it's easy to get syringes and needles from drugstores (at least, it is in Canada) so you can experiment with mixing inks and getting exactly the colours that you want.
Fountain pens are the only way, and the broader the nib the better.
------
Micah
Pilot Varsity, a disposable fountain pen. Somewhat hard to find, but a great pen. I like 'em cause they write well and I don't hate myself if I loose it (I always do).
-c"If you are an idealist it doesn't matter what you do or what goes on around you, because it isn't real anyway."-R.P.W.
The Pilot G2 is the smoothest and most consistent of any pen I have ever tried. I've used them exclusively since discovering them 4 1/2 years ago.
My favorite pens (really!) are the free ones I get from hotels during business trips. They never clog or leak,and seem to last forever, unlike "store-bought" pens. I guess I really don't ask that much of a pen (nor do I use one much anymore except for signing of checks, and once I get e-payment for everything, I won't need to do that either.)
How good have OCR softwares gotten now? The worst part about writing anything long on paper is that, in most circles, you will eventually want that information to be digitally available. Writing something may be good (c.f. Stephenson and Quicksilver) but reallf annoying if you have to type all that out again later.
I prefer a cheap, "self loading, hexagon shaped 0.5 millimeter mechanical pencil with a rubberized barrel that provides a positive grip." Zebra Posi-Grip fits the bill. Pair that with a big white eraser, and you're all set.
= 9J =
My first training in the arts was at a young age of about 8, my parents thought I had crappy handwriting (they were right) so they enrolled me in a calligraphy class. I still have crappy handwriting. Well, actually, nowadays my Japanese handwriting is much better than my English handwriting. Since that time, I've tried hundreds of pens of all manufactures, anyone who is really interested in writing wel should visit an art store, especially one that imports lots of oddball Japanese pens.
Anyway, I prefer fountain pens, mostly because nobody will ever borrow them so I never lose my pens to theft. IMHO the most bang for the buck is the Lamy Safari, it's cheap and writes well. I prefer the Lamy "joy" pen, it has a wider nib that satisfies my calligraphic urges. But you have to know how to write italic to use the joy pen properly.
But my favorite pen of all time is a cheapo crap Cross ballpoint. Mine has the IBM logo on it, I got it as an award for selling my first $1million of IBM equipment. I use it solely for financial transactions, it's sort of a weird superstition of mine.
Pencils are another story. Everyone should have a really good mechanical pencil. The best kinds have retractable points so you don't poke holes in your shirt pockets. The Japanese have this one completely nailed. The Sanford Logo II 0.5mm is my favorite, although it doesn't retract the tip. For a good retractable-tip pencil, the Yasutomo Grip500 can't be beat. Rotring makes awesome mechanical pencils, although I don't personally like the harsh German design, I find them uncomfortable and hard to hold.
Pricier than the MontBlanc, though.
Note that the MontBlanc does not adapt in this way, and is known to bleed ink while flying.
Yes, also pencils have an undo function also. They are not write-once like pens.
G-TEC-C4 0.4 point. Accurate, smooth, inexpensive.
I personally like my Fisher Space Pen a lot. I have the black bullet model. I picked it up for $15. Its nice and small and fits in your pocket, but when you take the cap off and put it on the end it becomes a full size pen. Oh yeah, and it writes upside down, under water, in freezing temperatures and all other kinds of conditions. I've never actually tested it under watter or in freezing temperatures, but it does write upside down. It writes pretty well as far as pens go. Its supposed to write like 3 miles or something. The refils aren't very expensive either.
Maybe biased based on geographical location... anyway, Ballograf ball-points and Staedtler pencils - 2B for drawing, HB for writing and sketching.
Yeah, I have a keyboard and a graphics tablet, but this stuff is still as convenient as ever. Never runs out of batteries.
There is even some kind of superstition. For example, I always carry the blue Staedtler pencils with me. They're always pretty sharp. There's a bunch of green Mitsubishi pencils on my desk. They're never sharp. (Hope their cars are better.) Maybe this has something to do with the general availability of pencil sharpeners though...
I'm a pen snob. And I'm not ashamed of it. In most situations, I write with a Pelikan Souveran 800 fountain pen. The nib is the most repsonsive of all of the fountain pens I've ever used, and the ink flow is superb. My two 800s are the best pens I have ever used.
In situations demanding a more durable pen, the Rotring 600 series have never failed me. They're made of solid brass, and are almost invincible. The list of potentially deadly situations my 600s have survived is long.
As a collector, user, and frequent gift-giver of high quality writing instruments, I have found Joon, a company based in New York, to be without match in all of my pen purchase needs. Check them out on the web at www.joon.com. For Timothy, they carry the entire line of Lamy inks and refills.
And just an aside- I've noticed some folks above me in this topic talking about Levenger. DON'T buy pens or ink from Levenger. They put a markup on their pens so high it's absurd, and their ink is shite. If I wanted to write with colored water, I'd buy food coloring.
--Use this space for notes--
DIXON TICONDEROGA
Milled brass anodized black or aluminum.
Comes in multiple grades of fountain nib.
Takes cartridge or bottle ink.
Is available almost anywhere.
I love mine.
"Bah!" - Dogbert
My favourite line are uniballs. Never could use the Pilot Precise ones, as they tend to break too easily.
Uniball's Vision series, to be exact. 3 1/2 years of university notes with those (countless of those, I'd like to add -- man why didn't anybobdy warn me about the sheer amount of notes to take?)
Unfortunately, Uniball uses a crap flash animation as a website: http://www.uniball-na.com/main.taf?p=1,3,1
Rotring's Core fountain pen is one of the best I've ever used- great for everyday use. They're extremely durable (I've carried one in my pocket for upwards of 4 years without ever having a problem with it, and it's still going strong), have a wonderfully smooth feel to them, and they're about a third of the price of anything remotely comparable (the Core fountain pen runs Levenger is the best place I've found for pens and ink thus far in the states (good customer service, quick response, etc), but they can be pricy, so it never hurts to shop around a bit.
Pilot pens are all great, but my personal favorite is the Pilot Razor Point II. It's a felt tip pen and while the life is shortened dramatically if you crush the nib as your write the uniformity of the ink flow and the extra fine point makes it the best enabler of my tiny writing style. My personal notes are all written out in the equivalent of 5-6pt fonts.
Extra fine point Sharpies will pass in a pinch, but they are much stinkier.
I was looking at Mont Blanc pens... and unfortunately I'm a bit stingy. While they ARE a *very* fine writing instrument, I'm currently EXTREMELY happy with the Cross ATX pen. It's only $60, and comes in either a medium or fine nib. It can use both cartridges and inkwells, beacuse it has a built-in inkwell plunger cartridge. Definitely a great pen for the money, but the fine nib is a little hard to keep whetted.
;-)
I just don't see the sense in paying more than $150 for a pen, unless I'm signing multi-million dollar contracts every day.
Detachment 3 Media
Exposed, Exploited, Exploded
This means "your mother suck my shit after I eat sushi and corn tempura in the cheap restaurant, while your father ass-eye blinks" in chinese too, so he's actually a troll.
I've managed to read slashdot for a good 5 years without making a post like this, but I've had enough. So mod me down! I care not for my karma anyway!
Are you fucking kidding me? Are you so inept and unable to think for yourself that you needed to ask slashdot this question? Do you really have nothing better to do than wonder what the real pen-using pros are using? Are you so stuck in the whole, tired and irritating "geek culture" thing that you need to find a "geek friendly" pen? My god, I'd say it's a slow news day but questions like these have been typical for Ask Slashdot lately.
Oh, what pen do I use? Whatever the hell is on my desk or in the drawer when I need it.
I use these by the box. Just a step up from the cheapie pens they normally have.
Much smoother, stronger ink. And so cheap my boss doesn't complain I lose a few boxes a month.
And if you're the guy stealing my pens STOP IT!!!!
There is just no substitute for that cap when it comes to cleaning out your ears. It just feels "right".
Otherwise, I couldn't care less what kind of pen/ink I use to sign my checks and credit card receipts. Besides, no one looks at modern handwritten documents except for the prosecution, so use disappearing ink whenever possible.
--
This space for rent.
wurraiiiiteeeeennng?
What is wuraiteeng?
It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
maybe I'm showing my age, but nothing beats a fountain pen, and for me, Waterman ones. The last one I bought was ~15 years ago and it just gave up the ghost (one drop to the floor too many I guess). I can't remember the exact model I bought, it cost me around $50-60CDN.
Never cared for Shaefer (sp?) as all the ones I've seen are too bulgy and the ink does not "glide" well -- Waterman's ink is truly wonderfull, makes for effortless writing. Like, smooth gliding over...
Oh, yeah. And get good paper. Really. It does make a difference -- in my experience, "Claire Fontaine" paper (from Europe) is for some reason the best paper to mate to a fountain pen. You could write a whole encyclopedia with that, without breaking a sweat! Truly, not all papers are not created equal.
As for those who find all of this laughable (sp?), just humour me and go to a fine pen shop and try writing with a _good_ pen on some _good_ paper. Write something. And write some more. You'll be astonished, I promise.
And before you ask, no, I am not a pen salesman.
I've had good results from Pen City
...once people see how I write, they tell me, "please, please just type it up".
I grin and fire up my laptop =)
.sig Realistic fines for copyright in
I've been a regular user of the Lamy Safari since my highschool days. You can get them (and ink for Lamy pens) from Swisher Pens.
Dr. Phil Agre, UCLA Professor of Information Studies, has an entire page dedicated to the topic of cheap, high quality pens. Highly recommend checking it out: http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/pens.html
I have long been a fan of the ballpoint. My Cross is a wonderful pen which goes everywhere with me. Even so I have a fountain pen that I like for letters.
However I purchased a Kyocera laser printer a while back and a ceramic pen was included. I love this pen. It has a great weight, and the line is gorgeous. You really can't beat these pens for general use. I am a total convert.
~~Guildencrantz
Penguin Trivia #46: Animals who are not penguins can only wish they were. -- Chicago Reader 10/15/82
I carry around a tiny pen refill and use it as a regular pen. It holds a lot of ink, but fits nicely into my pocket alongside my tiny notepad. I used to carry a backpack to school but eventually realized that a tiny pen (refill) and pad of paper was enough to get by 99% of the time.
It's not like one those skimpy ink tubes found in those dollar a dozen pens. Each pen refill lasts a year or more, and costs much less than if I bought a full pen. My current one is a parker mechanical pen refill.
The only downside is that a couple years back one of them made it into the dirty laundry, and exploded in the clothes dryer, staining everything inside. Had it been inside a pen casing the damage probably wouldn't have been so severe.
I use one of these. Amortized over the number of years it lasts it costs much less than a PC.
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
I find "gel pens" very nice, but there are ballpens from Pilot with addition of oil that I found best. But when I have to scratch a note really quickly, usually there's nothing to write around and it all boils to:
echo "Johnny, friday afternoon, call 0235787237" | lpr
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
i've used a lot of pens for many many many hours, and any of the uniball pens, having those stiff metal tips and ink that flows, are easily the best pens. next year will be my 8th (and final, so sad) year of debating on the circuit. ever since my first summer of institute in high school, i've been using these pens. ocassionally, i'll try something new (mostly out of necessity when i run out), but i never stick and always go back.
My Cross pen, which is a Chrome Ballpoint. Is slim, stylish and the chrome matches the modern working evironment which I find myself in .
The lifetime mechanical warranty has recently been put to the test and found not wanting. Since I was able to hand it in to a local supplier who sent it away for repair, no charge.
The writting quality, weighting and consistency are fantastic and the balance of the pen makes long stretches of writting and signing and note taking a pleasure.
Invest in a pen, make it one you plan to keep for life and use it.
And thats why Firecrackers and kittens don't mix.
Shouldn't you be fixing the power grids over there instead of asking us which is the best way to get back to the stone age? :)
For the past 4 years I've used a Dr. Grip Gel almost exclusively. I work at one of the big Office Supply stores, and I've used just about everything.
The Dr. Grip Gel is big enough for my hands and fingers to not fatigue them, but not too big. It also has a good silicone grip so that doesnt get too warm or slip. But the big thing is that it uses Gel Ink, and it's JUST right. Not too oily, not too sticky.
Also It's weight and build quality is pretty good. I find those expensive pens (read: Monte Blanc, Cross, Diplomats, etc.) are nice to look at and write with most of the time, but are too heavy and don't offer any ergonomic features to stop hand fatigue.
I would honestly recommend picking one up and trying it. They retail for about $6.00 which is pricey for one pen (in the cheap pen catagory), but it should last you a few years (with refills)
-
But, here are a few things to take with you:
GEL
Smooth as silk, but prone to smearing. Sometimes sticky. Medium Life of Ink, Doesnt dry up.
Liquid Gel/Liquid Point
Smoothest of all Ink, but almost watery. Extremely prone to smearing though Precise. Shorter Ink Life, Dry's Up Fast. Capped Pens Only.
BIG PENS/XXL SIZE
SUV of the pen world. Surprizingly Lite for the size. Too Big for Pockets and Organizers.
Cheap/Freebie Pens
Can't Beat Free. Decent, Least Smooth of All, Usually Sticky Ink. Disposable (bad for the Enviro)
Executive/Classic Pens
Nice Name, Decent Pen. Usually Heavy, Not always the best Ink. Sturdy*, but Expensive.
*The cheapest made "Expensive" has to be the Monte Blancs. Even though they are Rolex of the pen world, they are built like a Timex. They chip, they are lite weight, and the ink and writing smoothness is average. I've sold these to people for years, and I warn them, but they are too caught up in the name. But I guess a new one is born every minute.
~Your Friendly Neighborhood Anime Man
Whenever a buddy asks to borrow a pen, I give him one of these, and tell him to keep it. Everyone loves them. I must have gone through a hundred of them that way.
But I've never had one run out of ink!
Growing up I can remember that my dad had a couple of Parker Jotter Pen and Pencil sets. I started to use them in high school and haven't found another set that has been this good yet.
I use to have a Space Pen that I would keep with me, you know: writes in water, zero gravity, upside down. I didn't even get upset when I lost it, not like I do when I lose my Parker... I suppose I am a tad bit retarded that way.
I use the good ol' fine-tipped Uniball ink pens.
Ah, the name, yes. I was afraid you were going to ask. "Senso" or something to that effect...
Pens! Pens! Pens!
The best pen for you is, well, the best one for you, and only you can determine that. Just to make the choice harder for writers, pen choice has both mechanical and psychological dimenisons--What might let me *cut loose* like Kerouac might make you grimace and hunt for a garbage can.
There are lots of approaches, some of them cost real money. Few of them need to.
A Mt. Blanc Diplomat might work for you because the heavy, perfect feel of it makes you feel like Thomas Mann. It's excalibur. You don't write with it, you wield it as part of a symbiotic relationship. That's the good news. The bad news is you better be wealthy, because they cost more than a teenager working full-time at McDonald's makes in a week.
Pilot makes some of the best non-rich writer-pens on earth. Many pilot pens, including their disposable fountain pen can be great for writing prose--smooth enough to scream across the paper when you're hot but neat enough to draw technical sketches when you slow down.
In that respect, Pilot is on a mission. Pilot is one of the only pen maker's out there to have really mastered gel ink and to have made it controllable and consistent.
Pilot's P-500 gel-ink ball-points write like they mean it, and keep at it until the last drop dissappears down the reservoir and you know you're a writer because you do so much of it, that it sucks the life out of ball-points.
Audition as many pens as possible, cheap ones, expensive ones; find out not just what you think you need but use your experience to remind you about the 'magic pen,' the one you were using that time you really got there.
Before you can ask what pen you should be using, you should find out what kind of character a pen has to have to not distract you both when you're 'on,' and when you're not.
Have a good one.
To mail me, remove the 'mailno' from my email addy.
"Yeah. It smells, too..."
I've always loved fountain pens. I have a small collection built up over the years of both modern, and vintage fountain pens. I've actually found that a restored fountain pen from the 20's or 30' can have the most pleasant feel when writing. A good one holds a huge amount of ink (as opposed to those wimpy cartridges that the modern ones tend to use. This is good because the older pens also USE a lot more ink. The ink almost leaps onto the paper, making a nice dark line and also lubricating the writing process. Unfortunately I type a lot faster than I write, and since almost everything ends up in a computer these days it's hard to justify writing instruments at all. Unless you are very famous, no one is likely to read your diary when you're gone.
Like many, I went through a phase of using a Palm Pilot (or similar device) for recording thoughts when away from any computer keyboard. I've since gone back to just using these devices for addresses and appointments (which mean that the sub $100 ones do just fine). So I'm back to carrying a pen whenever I go out and generally a small notebook (the paper variety) too.
Sometimes I carry a fountain pen, but more often I'm in a hurry and grab a ballpoint. For cheap ones I like Parker clickable ballpoints. The ink capacities are huge and they write smoothly. For $20 or so though I'd recommend the Rotring ballpoints which are all steel, have a textured grip, large ink supply and are nice and techno looking. You can enhance either Parker or Rotring pens by replacing the ink cartridge in it with one from Fisher (the makers of the original "Space Pen"). These really will write upside down, under water and on practically any surface. When writing on ordinary paper they have a nice feel too.
I remember in the 60's Bic did a series of commercials on how durable their pens were. They shot them from guns into tree trunks and then took what was left (not much) and wrote with it. They also "simulated" strapping one to a car to see how many miles you could write with one. Very impressive. Unfortunately I think cheap pens are not what they used to be. I've found that many of these if left unused for a year or so refuse to ever write again no matter how much you tap, shake or scribble with it trying to get it started again. Unfortunately many of these more expensive specialty pens (like the ones with the special grips) have the same ink mechanism used for the cheap ones. So, go with ink mechanisms from Parker, Fisher, Rotring, Lamy, Mont Blanc, or Cross, unless you are in a situation, such as a waiter, where your pens are constantly stolen.
Finally, and most importantly, if you are going to write anything that you need to last for a long time, do the following experiment:
Take all your candidate pens and make a test mark (sign your name or whatever) on several types of paper that you typically use. If you use colored ink, do this in all the colors you plan to use too. Just as a control, make the same marks with an ordinary pencil, and also pick any ordinary black-ink ballpoint (not the gel pens though, plain old ballpoint).
Tape these papers to a window or somewhere else where they will get direct sun. The back window of your car will do too. Check them in a month. You might be surprised, and if you are writing for any sort of archival purpose you might change your mind about what you want to use.
...and what if you have no computer?
You get some to port Linux to a stone as part of a oneupmanship contest.
> What does the geeks of Slashdot use for writing?
This reminds me of that other infamous quote (and yes, I do quote):
"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?"
Must-not-watch TV!
My favorite pen? A Stylus... :)
End. Of. Discussion.
Prepare to be burninated!
http://store.yahoo.com/hotpens/lamyrefills1.html I like the older (6 years ago) $8 Parker fountains, but their newer models kinda suck
Not only is the Parker "Jotter" a great value, it will last you forever! I used a Jotter for 2 years straight nearly all day long. I had no access to a computer for 2 years, so the Parker and slips of paper were how I got things done. I also wrote countless letters. After two years I finally got back to "civilization" and had a computer again. I have heard from several people that use Parkers that they have recieved 5 years or more of heavy usage using the Parker "Jotter." You can pick one up at your local mass consumer outlet (ie. Wal-Mart) for ~$15.
For some time, I didn't care with what pen I had to write. It didn't matter, until I bought a Uniball Vision Elite. Damn, they are so smooth in writing. With a normal 'Bic', you have to put a lot of pressure on the pen, but the Vision Elite follows smoothly the hand :o)
One minor point: When I bought the pen, they said it was rechargable. But here in Belgium, you can't get the rechargable part...
...it does not say anything, but it gives an impression...
RED is best for faxes, copies, scanning, etc. It shows up as black. Blue is the worst, esp. light blue. When I used to do a lot of faxing, I used red felt-tips exclusively.
"Would it kill you to put down the toilet seat?" -- Maya Angelou
For copying, there's the trustable photocopier, either dry (Xerox-like) or chemical.
As for writing original content, see if it can be reduced to standardized formulas which could then be made into stamps (it's an hour-long process). BTW, this is still used in some places.
As for signing, develop a short version for every page. Alternatively, for non-official documents such as workpapers, you could also have a stamp with a simplified signatured (make it such that it is clearly different from your official sig).
The latest Skillcraft is usually what I keep in my BDU blouse. I could make a comment about how if it's good enough for the whole government then it's got to be good enough for anyone but I doubt anyone could finish the sentence because they'd be laughing too hard...
Teh Goatse Man Says: "Width Does Matter!"
Pilot seem to make great pens, I got a couple of G2's (black and blue, and I've seen a red one), it has a good grip and also has a soft pad for the writers index finger. I write in caps for some braindead reason when taking notes and it is very clean and precise. But, don't take them apart. Once you have unscrewed them they don't seem to go back together again easily, thanks Slashdot.
I've had one for more than seven years of continuous use. By continuous, I mean several hours a day - every page of notes and every problem set so far in college and grad school. After about five years, the bottom half of the pocket clip chipped off, but the pencil action is still going strong.
The pencils were unavailable for a few years, and then the company began producing them again. I've now purchased a lifetime supply: 14 pencils, which gives me just under a one-sigma clearance on retirement age assuming poisson statistics apply to pencil loss.
Oh yeah - and don't be discouraged when you discover that it's made by a company who generates the bulk of their business selling kitchy corporate logo pens shaped like chocolate covered bananas. Most of their products, such as their badly designed four function stylus pens, aren't worth bothering with. This pencil, however, is the exception.
http://www.worldlux.com
may be expensive%2zDt AWESOME Pens nontheless
Freaky Schitt always happens to me... WHY God WHY!!
, Watermans, Cross and Schaeffers all look pretty good and feel good but the writing quality depends on lots more than that. I collect pens -- got dozens of high end one -- their worth actually rivals the dozen or so computers around my house -- but most sit in their display cases. For fountain pens the nibs and the writing paper make the greatest difference. But fountain pens are an acquired taste and not for everyone. For the others -- roller balls, ball points -- the quality depends entirely on the refill. If you're like me, I don't like a nib or pen that's too smooth or puts too much ink down so most roller balls are out of the question. Favorite pens? Zebra 301 ($5 a pack) and the Zebra mechanical pencil.
I'm not proud, I collect pens & pencils from job fairs, county fairs, & fairly anyone who will give them away!
Any shape, any size, any length, any style, any color, any thickness, any logo.
I've also gotten key chains, letter openers, pencil sharpeners, rulers, paper clips, eyeglass chains, business card holders, hand wipes, & other gedunk, not to mention gobs of literature.
But as for writing implements, you can't be FREE as in PENCIL...
In the bottom draw of a teacher's desk[1] at sixth form college I found what I now know to be a Shaeffer Imperial Flighter. I looked at it, thought it was nice and put it back. A month later it was still there. So I pocketed it and have used it ever since. The steel barrel and cap is heavily tarnished now but it still writes with impecable smoothness and never leaks.. htm?cate goryId=4
e ns.htm
http://www.oldschoolpens.com/pd1217465757
I have since bought a Waterman Serenite. This curved pen that looks somewhat like a samuri sword is a beautiful work of art. A good writer once you get the ink flowing (ie the first sentence is a chore) but it leaks slightly and so I don't use it as much as the Shaeffer.
http://www.penbox.co.uk/new.waterman.p
[1] Understand that the desk was simply where the teacher sat when giving the lesson and didn't 'belong' to any teacher. Also the desk draw was 90% full of old A-level papers and the pen itself was underneath these at the bottom and obviously unused and seemed unowned. Put it this way, it felt more like giving a home to the pen than stealing.
There was a related story (sorta) to this Why Johnny Can't Handwrite a few months earlier.
When I was in school, we had to do a buttload of writing. Then I came to college in mi. I think I did more writing in the 5th grade than I did in 3 years at college. If it wasn't on computer, I probably wouldn't touch it.
The only stuff was signing credit card bills at convenience stores and taking the odd note in class.
Now I've taken a break and am studying by myself(maths, phy, elec engineering). I finish a 160 page double side A4 size notebook in about 10 days. I've used up about quite a few of those notebooks(>30). Biggest problem here is not writing but motivation. But I digress.
My hands hurt too when I did that much writing but I am used to it now. You gotta take it slowly just like the gym regimen.
Writing is best done with a fountain pen, rolling ball or gel pens. If you are going to write a lot, ballpoint pens are the worst.
Ballpoints are made for convenience. The viscosity of the ink is what tires the palm and elbow faster than the the rest.
Whenever I buy a fountain pen, I buy extra nibs. If the nib is smooth, nice; otherwise I use fine sandpaper. Sometimes this works, sometimes not.
I use Hero pens( Hero). Its pens and nibs are cheap. Availability is not a problem.
I've also used parker and schaeffer cartridge pens. Instead of buying new cartridges everytime, get a syringe and a nice ink bottle to refill the cartridges.
Rolling balls are nice but nearly everybody just uses and disposes them. It is actually possible to take the nib contraption out and refill its ink. Pilot makes rolling ball ink but its not sold in the states. Each of its 15 ml bottle is good for 8-10 refills.
Uniball's are decent too but not really suited for cursive writing.
---
Bush is on fire and its not good for my lungs.
I think Rotring makes some pretty swell pens. I've used mine for about 4 years. One is a pen trio with a red pen, blue or black pen, and a pencil. There is also a smaller pen that's just black. They have a nice weight to them too. Click here for pics.
A Canon S750 for my writing requirements.
Oh wait, you mean one of those things?
If you get the silver one, it's easy to have it engraved. I carried one such for many years. When I lost it, I immediately bought another one.
I'm not trying to be insulting, but I want to point out that the "Porsche phenomenon" seems to apply to many tech items.
The idea is that if you spend a whole ton of money on a luxury variant of something, you tend to become an advocate of it to ensure that you don't look like an idiot for blowing a ton of money on something. The actual quality of the item becomes a secondary factor. I've seen this happen all over the place. With schoolchildren, a video game system is a big purchase, which gives rise to the mindless "fanboyism" of video game systems. The same applies to Macs and SGIs (and probably other luxury computer systems, but those are the two I've seen).
People come up with fairly empty, unbacked claims ("Of course I spent all that money on Ciscos! People who *really* appreciate reliability always buy Cisco!") There may well be an improvement in the product, but frequently it is minimal -- completely out of whack with the claims of the luxury customer.
All this doesn't mean that I dislike Macs or any of the abovementioned products (I owned Macs for years), but I started noticing myself unconsciously doing this on various things (you don't *think* about why you argue in favor of your purchase -- you just *do* it), and then noticed other people doing it. The more expensive an item, the more people will bitterly defend against any comments that might be construed as criticism of their purchase.
May we never see th
http://www.carioca.it/a_it/020_gate.htm
Gotta be the Sheaffer PFM (Pen For Men)! The finest 50's fountain pen technology. Write up there with slide rules! Cheers -- Pun intended
you never have to worry about losing them.
I can't find the 2-C for sale very many places anymore, but Zebra also makes a very similar "Sharbo combo" which has one ink and one pencil lead inside.
Fist a disclaimer: I write like I code -- for hours on end with no gaps. That means instant availability is unimportant to me, I am only concerned with how cramped my hand feels after a few hours of writing.
:-). Some fountain pens seem better in this regard than others. Oh, and some are _much_ easier to refill than others. You can get ink bottles that are easier to fill pens from too.
Think of a cheap pen as a cheap monitor -- perfectly fine for five mins checking email, but you'll get tired eyes if you try to use it for hours. A good fountain pen has the ink just flowing onto the paper so you don't feel any resistance. This means you don't have to strain your wrist muscles and you don't get cramped. Oh, and good doesn't necessaraly mean expensive -- I've used a cheap Lamy that was perfectly good, and my Elysse (can't remember which e has the accent) is quite scratchy.
The downside of a fountain pen is they tend to dry out if not used for a while and need refilling. This is less of a problem if you write regularly (instead of once a fortnight like me), and I treat it as my pen telling me off for not working hard enough. Ok, so I'm weird
For putting things on shopping lists and other non-sustained writing, I use a roller-ball instead of a fountain pen. They dry up less, go longer between refills, and can be used immediately.
itoya! .2 best pen ive ever used, its meant for art and such, but i really do love this pen. and they make a .1 that works on plastic, a very fine point for writing on cds and such, or lamanated whatevers, I also really like the Sensa line of pens, good luck!
They write nice and smoothly with a consistent application of ink and no splodges. Lovely, I haven't found anything which writes better, including expensive non disposable pens.
Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
This just came out, and is still hard to find as not all Mont Blanc stores have them in stock (but they all have a tester you can go try), and it is by far and away the BEST writing instrument ever. If you have a standard (not the "Grand") huge fat one) mont blanc rollerball pen, these new fineliner refills will fit inside. They're like a mini felt (but not felt) tip pen with a spring so it doesn't get squished. It simply writes better than anything else I've ever tried. Google for "mont blanc fineliner" and get yerself one. If you already have a rollerball just pick up some fineliner refills.
As for cheapo disposable pens, my favorite has always been the Pilot "Precise" V5 (extra fine) or V7 (fine). They always write wonderfully. But the Mont Blanc Fineliner is the greatest thing ever (and no, I do not work for them or any pen company).
Stupid people make stupid things profitable.
My favorite pen is the Pilot Explorer, a fairly basic and nondescript black pen. However, it writes smoothly, and has a fine point. It also is not expensive. Nor is it a ballpoint (it is a rolling ball), as I find that the ink tends to come out in little gobs and paper fibers get stuck around the nub. I have an abundant array of pens in my desk, most of them from business trips. I don't recall where I acquired the Pilot Explorer, but I do remember that I did not pay for it. My advice is that pens can usually be had for free, and there is no point in paying for such a common tool. If you have a stockpile of pens, as I do, simply try out each one until you find one that fits best for you. If you do not, I would not pay more than five dollars at most, as pens are easily lost, or in some cases I suspect, stolen. For comparison, the Pilot Explorer is currently listed at $2.39 per unit, at www.pilotpen-store.com.
Slashdot: Playing Favorites Since 1997
A good and comfortable pen for me is an absolute necessity, not a nice thing; I have RSI yet have to write a lot, and if I use an ordinary pen my wrist starts hurting within a couple of minutes, sometimes almost instantly. So this summer i spent a lot of time and money researching and testing pens; trust me, my wrist is a highly sensitive testing tool for pens, and here are my findings.
The best and most comfortable pens by far of the many many i tested were the Stabilo 's move family, of which i have only used the powerball and i'm extremely satisfied with it, it has a curved shape, an extremely comfortable grip, and it writes like a dream with an amazingly smooth tip and ink, it's also refillable; here are pages about them, first, second, third.
A comfortable pencil is Pentech softech LX. An alternative is a sheaffer delta grip. The sheaffer delta grip ballpoint pen is comfortable too and there are Pentech seoftech ballpoints too, but i prefer the stabilo 's move powerball.
If you need highlighters then i would recommend either stabilo luminator or stabilo boss original. Some Bic highlighters are also good.
Some i have tested and might be worthy of mention, though the above are better are Dr. Grip pens. Also worthy of mention though i have not tried this one is the Cross morph, though i have read an ergonomic review that said the pentech softech was more comfortable than the cross morph, so i'll just stay with the stabilo 's move.
I have not found other pens that were better than those in terms of comfort; my wrist tells me very quickly if a pen is even slightly uncomfortable. Expensive pens aren't necessarily comfortable, mont blanc and lamy were more about style than comfort, in my experience. I also wouldn't recommend the pilot precise v5, i remember using it in the 1980s, i have tried it recently, comfortwise it's very poor.
Nah, I recommend (and use) the "Bic .80". Unfortunately, it's not sold in stores (well, only one exists).
I took a standard blue Bic crystal ballpoint (very cheap), and customized it to be 20% smaller than the standard version. I keep it in my front pants pocket, so the smaller size keeps it from jabbing me when I sit down.
GL
I like Osmiroid fountain pens. They aren't very expensive and they don't dump a load of ink on every stroke like Schaeffer pens do. They're also tough. I used up a grand total of two nibs for one highschool semester.
Galland
I've been using the Zebra F-301 pen for at least a year, and I really like it. Performance, price, and style!
Fountain pens are messier--I sometimes have ink stains on my fingers--and the ink smears easier if you are a lefty, but they also allow me to write comfortably and exressively. I have incredibly poor handwriting, and the pen does nothing to overcome that. But I can do sketches with it, I can write in many different styles, and I get a quality of line, with a varying thickness, far better than I would with a cheap ballpoint (though I always seem to have a number of those available for jotting notes, etc).
I hate writing by hand; it's slow, messy, and often painful. And it may be silly, but writing with a nice implement makes it at least a little more tolerable.
I've bought some fancy pens, but overall I always end up using the cheap bic ball points. You can buy them by the gross, they always write, last forever, and when they do finally wear out, the hollow tubes are excellent for shooting spit wads if your into that sort of thing.
I have 4 younger brothers so I claim self defense.
Mont Blanc is easily one of the most recognized names in fountain and rollerball pens today. However, my local independent pen merchant had only negative things to say about them when I dropped the name, and with a little more experience and research, I have to agree with his position: they're overrated.
For the money, Mont Blanc pens tend to be ridiculously fragile, and repair costs range from $35 to $400+ (USD). Sometimes leakage is a result of improper pen storage and/or maintenance, but with Mont Blancs the problem seems to be suspiciously epidemic.
Don't take my word for it, but don't blindly trust the name either. If you have access to a fine pen shop, spend some time learning about the subject, then do the comparitive research. Imho, if you really want a pen that will last a lifetime, Mont Blanc is not the one.
I was under impression that any breathing and walking human today already had a nearly limitless supply of free pens, kindly provided by various companies and organisation. The best thing is the variety, allowing you to sample all kinds of pens and select the one that best fits your hand and writing style.
:)
:) When you find the one you like, just click on the link.
If you want to shell out some money, though, there was some supposedly cool and innovative pen with a hole inside that you put your finger in to write.
I also suggest you to try a Google/Altavista/Alltheweb image search for "pen".
Future Wiki -- If you don't think about the future, you cannot have one.
I like them because you can write with them at lightning speed - there's almost no friction with the paper. I used to bring these home and my brother now loves them :-)
papermate used to sell "erasable" pens. the ink could be erased up to about 1/2 hour after writing.
Want good pens? Look at Levenger. It's a catalog/web store dedicated to writers and readers. Their pen selection can be found here.
"One touch of Darwin makes the whole world kin." George Bernard Shaw
I prefer the Online "Winner" that I purchased in Germany. It can write under water, upside down and in space! Here is the link: Online Winner.
Guaranteed for life too....
Lamy Uniq, nothing else!
As an English minor and a Computer Science major who does some SERIOUS doodling on the side, the best type of pens I have found is anything where you have that ink well near the tip of the pen that ink slowly leaks into (these pens are preferred by most writers; Pilot and Uni-Ball makes many variations, including the "VBall Grip" and Vision respectively). I personally go with the ones marked "extra fine" (aka 0.2mm) as they still make multiple copies when I'm signing for stuff. Beware of "Gel" pens that may look like this though, they run out of ink very fast and the tip tends to get clogged if you forget about it and leave it open too long. I used a fountain tip for quite some time (cheap one known as "varsity" don't remember the maker) but got annoyed trying to work with it in the dark as you have to hold it against the paper in exactly the write fashion to get it to mark the paper.
On the mechanical pencil end, I've had this 0.9mm one that I love so much, I've worn off who the maker is... I've found that 0.9mm is thin enough for everyday writing and detailed drawing, and still fat enough to shade in large areas.
The best thing to do, however, is to go to a stationary store (or your local university's bookstore) and just keep trying stuff until you find something that suits you.
Oops, I just checked and the Sanford Logo II does have a retractable tip. It just isn't fully retractable into the body like the Grip500, the Logo II still comes to a point that can poke a hole in your shirt pocket.
And I suppose I need to stave off the inevitable flames and restore my credibility as an artist by saying I really do have a BFA, selling computers was just my day job. I had to pay for that overpriced painter's loft somehow..
Well, I'm not Praeluceo, but as his girlfriend. Yes, I know there will be many comments of "no way," "geeks don't have girlfriends," and the like, but it's true! Don't ask how I put up with him. Even I don't know! ^_~ He likes medium liquid flow type pens, with his favorite as some $20 metallic pen. And he -hates- ballpoint pens, which I can understand as I'm not a very big fan either. Now since I have extraordinarily small writing, I am a fan of pens with a 0.3 non-felt tip. The only problem is, I can't find any outside of Japantown, SF! I am currently well stocked with Pilot's Hi-Tec .3 pens in various colors. I also like my fountain pen with a narrow calligraphy nib, but that's only for writting special things in which I am forced to write big.
In case no one noticed, we're both really big on pens.
Ouch!
When I was in school I had to write with a #2 pencil. Now I am a dirt diggin' construction worker. Use a bigger construction grade pencil these days. To each his own.
On those rare occasions when I find "I have no word proccessor" I just use a text editor. Duh... Hand written docs are better then just a plain text ascii file printed on a printer??
How lame!
-- Many men would appreciate a woman's mind more if they could fondle it
Take a look at the Zebra F-402.
It's stainless steel with a rubber grip. It's a heavy pen, and looks and feels more expensive than it is. It writes like a dream. I've been using them for 6 years now.
wbs
Huh?
I have a collection of the classic Bic Cristal ballpoint pens. They've been around for 50 years, are almost indestructable, work on almost any surface, and cost just about nothing. Come in four fancy colours as well.
Cheap liquid ink pens from Staples. Work great..
In America today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see, and nobody calls the c
I've tried dozens of different kinds of pens over my lifetime, and the one that I've settled on and now insist on is the inexpensive Pilot EasyTouch Medium Point ball-point (the Fine Point is good too, but not quite as smooth). It is the smoothest writing instrument I've found, whether ball-point, roller-ball, gel, fountain pen, or whatever. And it always just seems to work; it doesn't dry on me and require those scribbles to get the ink flowing after several days of non-use, like other ball-points. Strangely it doesn't seem to be a standard stock item and I have to special order it from Staples. The blue color seems slightly smoother than red or black, but that may be subjective.
Somebody else here likes the EasyTouch also.
... 'cause I know the number of replies to this will mean no-one will see my minor contribution, but...
For technical notes and my work diary (because of the fine point and totally non-blobbliness) - the Pilot G-Tec-C4 (though I'm sure any of the needle-point range will be good enough)
For my crossword and general writing (because of its fat grip) - the Pilot Dr Grip ball pen
For personal scribbles - the Faber-Castell GRIP 2001 pencil (smooooth;).
the old fashioned analog graphite distribution device. Not very impressive, but very reliable and you can have plenty of them for just a buck.
I swear by Sakura Color Products Gelly Roll pens:
(from the web site)
- Archival quality ink
- Consistent ink flow to the last stroke
- Will not smear or feather when dry
- Waterproof and chemical proof
- Fade resistant
- Does not bleed through most papers
- Meets ASTM and ACMI non-toxicity standard
Available at any art supply or hobby store, and a lot of other places.
When a word processor is out of the picture, I use a document processor, like LaTeX. It's on my PDA, so I'm never without. :)
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
graphite as-cheap-as-you-can-imagine 5cm long pencil I found on the street (but I'm not sure if thinkgeek sells that)
When a computer isn't around for writing, I use my laptop. :)
I have a large collection of pens (around 4,000 or so) and around 30 foutain pens from a lot of companies. The only problem I have with foutain ink is the new thermal and waxy papers places use tend to not absorb the ink.
Try fountainpenhospital.com or eBay. there are a bunch more but I'm not at home and don't have the links handy.
I recommend the Ion Cross pen as well for its overall usefullness. It's great to drop in your pocket or attach to your keychain. It also makes getting girls phone numbers a little slicker...the thing snaps open and shut with a bit of visual flare.
That being said, I have had one of the many Cross pens I've used leak...only one out of about 5 I have bought so far. (they are easy to lose) The good thing is, even though it leaked, the ink stayed inside the pen and didn't get on my clothing.
No way this will be modded up, but my office,
when we visit our Japan office, always grab
one or two (or seven) of these things.
I don't know who actually makes them, I suppose
that they are simply re-branded "Jim Knock Care".
I don't imagine they cost more than 50 yen.
I used to have a favourite pen, but ultimately, after endless sprees of business travel, I figure the endlessly self replacing black hotel pen is the best deal. Theyre free, and although they are definitely Ad-Ware, they dont spy on your writing or report you to the RIAA yet.
When doing a lot of writing, I prefer my Parker fountain pen; however, I also write well with a fibre-tip (preferably a fairly thick one like the Paper Mate nylon). Mechanical pencils are also good for some things (B or 2B lead).
These days, I use my Psion to make notes more often than paper, though.
Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.
I've discovered that by writing something manually, i.e. with a pen, instead of on a computer, I tend to remember what I've written much better.
Hence, I always prepare for exams by taking notes of what I read. If I have lecure notes, I might even copy those by hand, since I might well have forgotten their contents since I wrote them a couple of months ago.
I think the main reason for this is that it's more laborious to write manually - more of a pain in the ass.
A good analogy would be, for instance, driving somewhere yourself instead of taking a bus: you'd probably remember the journey better.
Hands down. I love their fibre tips.
little pussy needs an ergonomic writing utensil? i'd crack you in the mouth if i knew you.
But then, I can never keep a pen for more than a week. I'll invariably put it someplace and leave it there, never to be found again. So cheap disposable pens are just great.
The Right Reverend K. Reid Wightman,
The pilot percise rolling ball V5 Extra Fine. I was on the debate team in high school and you need to take very fast notes during rounds while your opponent is speaking. These notes are written in something like shorthand, but it has various symbols unique to debate in it. It is important that you had a very fine tip, as well as a good delivery system that is reliable. (I can't tell you how many cheap Paper Mates have failed on me.) For that almost everyone on any debate team that is any good writes with a V5. It's not really something that you would want to sit down and write a letter with, but nothing beats it for shorthand notes.
My current pen is a custom made rollerball with a turned and knurled slim aluminium barrel, using Hauser refills.
Most times I can write comfortably without smudging, though my script is still (as my infant-school headmistress pointed out some 35 years ago) "like a drunken spider randomly wandering across the page"
oh brave new world, that has such people in it!
http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/
I like the sensa rollerball pens. very comfortable with the plasma filled grip and the schmidt cap-less ink system writes well.
Unlike most of the commenters so far, I am attempting a serious response.
Cheap pens don't work reliably (although some are much better than others). The biggest problem I have with them is that they tend to disappear. The pens I prefer, while not really all that expensive, matter enough that I keep an eye on them. Somehow, it works.
Over the past 15 years, I have settled on two basic pens for all my writing needs: the rotring and Lamy ball pens. The Lamy is cute, colorful, distinctive enough to be instantly recognizable as mine, but cheap enough so that if I lose one I'm not upset. The refills last a long time, and the ink flows smoothly.
But my favorite is the rotring. Machined from solid brass, with a black or aluminum anodized finish, it has an ideal weight. It is slim but, with its knurled barrel, easy to grip (which addresses a major problem for me). This is a good example of the elegance of simplicity. Again, the refills are superior.
(BTW, I hate Cross pens because of their crappy refills, which I find blotchy and short-lived.)
I can't tell you how many times I have handed my rotring, for a signature, to someone with an expensive Waterman or Mont Blanc sticking out of his pocket, only to have it examined closely and handed back with the comment, "Nice pen."
These pens nearly disappeared from the market, but when rotring announced that they were discontinuing the model, Levenger persuaded them to keep it in production exclusively for their catalog. (Much of the Levenger stuff is grotesquely lacking in value, but for saving the rotring pen I forgive them a lot of other trespasses!)
Oh, and I believe they are also a good source for the Lamy (and other) inks.
Prior to China's communist revolution, they were more or less capitalist. When the communists came to power, the capitalists fled to tawain.
China has made no secret of the fact that they consider Tawain to be a rogue colony, and support reunification, with military force, to be a goal.
Trade with Tawain provides them with valuable money with which to buy US military equipment to prevent a Chinese invasion.
i haven't seen this brand mentioned here, but my favorites are the Tombow pens. i have a rollerball, with a 03P X-FINE cartridge. i write a lot, mostly in my little moleskine notebook, and i have not found anything which writes nicer, with smooth quality ink, no blobs, little resistance, and just overall loveliness. try it out in a bookstore somewhere. there are all different sizes and shapes, thick and thin, but the writing feel i have not found the equal of yet.
Any advice?
"The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
Note the very thin neck (about 3.5mm long) near the trip -- it keeps the body of the pen from visually obstructing the point where you're writing, which is very nice when sketching etc. The catch is that this neck is rather delicate, so if the pen falls tip-down on hard surface it is often irreparable bended. Most of my C4 pens have been thus broken before running out (which is not saying a lot, since they pack a lot of ink).
It comes in 10 ink colors, of which my favorite is black (very dark, perfectly consistent). The lines are thin and sharp, and the gel-based ink dries very quickly so there's no smearing. Writing takes virtually no pressure, as gravity alone already suffices to leave a clear and continuous line if you drag the pen across the paper. Coupled with the light plastic construction, this makes for relatively effortless writing. Both pressure and velocity affect line thinkness only mildly (e.g., it doesn't "leak" like the Pilot V5 when held at one spot), so you get very fine and uniform lines. This effectively deprives you of an extra degree of freedom, though I find the tradeoff worthwhile for most applications.
My main gripe is the grip. It is cheap hard plastic (see the closeup), and slip-on rubber grips feel very awkward on such a fine-tipped pen. I tried fitting a G-Tec C4 refill into some better-crafted pen body, but didn't find any good match. Also, the pen clip, made from the same hard plastic, is not very functional as it breaks off easily. The fine innards deserve a better package.
About US$2 a piece, refills available.
The original poster asked about finding ink for Lamy's Swift, an aluminum pen that absolutely rocks. I've had one for five years now, and it writes wonderfully. Levenger is where I order my refills from.
You could try working at Oracle for a while. They've just redone the longevity awards.
Five years - a pencil.
Ten years - a biro.
Fifteen - a rollerball pen.
Twenty - a fountain pen.
There's no 25 year award but several of us reckon it should be a Thomas the Tank Engine pencil case.
I've always been partial to Bic Cristal pens. They never need "inknition" strokes in my experience, and always write smoothly.
This sig no verb.
TWW
"Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"
- You might be more inclined to use it. My pens are fun and interesting to write with and maintain; I find myself taking more notes in meetings and jotting down more important information in my notebooks, just to have an excuse to use the pen.
- You might be less inclined to lose it.
I misplaced my Pilot and Uniball rollergel pens all the time, because everyone has them, and because I didn't really have any attachment to each of them. A fountain pen is likely to be unique enough to distinguish it (and you!) from your coworkers', and the investment places additional cognitive load on the owner (so you're more likely to notice if you came into a room with it, but don't have it in your pocket when you leave).
- If you lose it, it's still no big deal. You can get quality refillable models from known manufacturers for $10 or $15, so it won't break the bank to get started. (Note that there is no upper bound on fountain pen prices, especially if you get into vintage models.)
- Might actually improve your handwriting. The shape of the nib encourages certain orientations and attitudes of the pen; over time, this has informed my penmanship, helping to repair some of the damage done by keyboards and ballpoints.
- Another cool machine to understand and geek out over. Fountain pens are simple devices, yet they are subtle in construction and style.
Personally, I was originally pretty put off by the fat, ornate fountain pens I'd seen in stores, but there are plenty of sleek, modern designs (Rotring comes to mind; Pelikan have some lovely models as well) and deco-styled throwbacks (my friend has a Namiki Vanishing Point, which is a mechanical marvel as well as a deco homage; I myself am currently writing and drawing with a gorgeous black '329' from the Shanghai Hero Pen Company).[I was recently introduced to the world of fountain pens by my friend Chris, who has written up a wonderful overview of his fascination with pens. Lots of great links to manufacturers, online retailers, and customizers.]
Personally, I like the Uniball Pen15. Oh...
First, I cant imagine how anyone could unintentionally subject themselves to an environment without a word processor. I didn't believe a story like this would be possible these days.
Two years ago, however, I went on a sabbatical from computers. I had enough of CS and wanted to spend some time out and about with friends. After finding out that pen writing was a bad choice for me, I researched typewriters (the movie Naked Lunch helped quite a bit). A good old Royal typewriter can really do wonders and even make you want to write again.
I tried several typewriters, and gradually I learned what to look for in a typewriter.
1) Keyboard and button size, make sure they are comfortable. Same rules for a keyboard.
2) Availability of ribbon, does someone still make a replacement? I've had to respool several ribbons onto the old spools to make them work.
3) Weight of keys, how much force does it take to activate a key. I light a heavy key for its momentum, they leave a nice dark imprint, but it has to be balanced very well, otherwise it takes a lot of force to get it moving.
4) Key return, how fast a key returns to a safe or resting position, a quick return is good but can add more force.
5) The Mechanics, are the keys likely to hit each other while in action? Are they equally aligned both horizontally and vertically?
6) Physical Properties - A Heavy typewriter is good for home use. A later 70's plastic briefcase style typewriter might be a little better for travel, for when you want to write that novel or code at a coffee bar.
Every typewriter is a little different so it may take a while to find a good one. However, these days, its sometimes easy to pick one up for $5 or $10. Just hearing the clickity clack of the keys is enough to inspire one to write.
"What does the geeks of Slashdot use for writing?"
I uses a good grammar book. Want to borrow it?
My computer desk has an Avery comfort grip ballpoint. Works well for jotting notes, signing things, etc. Also has a nice click to it and provides a good release of exess energy during long stints.
When I need to do some serious writing, I use a Cross classic century rolling ball or it's companion 0.5mm mechanical pencil.
I've also been known to use a variety of fountain pens when I'm writing letter's etc. (I'de love a Cross townsend but at $180-$300 they are a little out of my price range)
Namiki was not purchased by Pilot. Pilot is the US subsidiary of the Namiki (Japan) brand.
The old Namiki pens are lighter, and were a little cheaper. Sometimes you can still find one for about $70-$80.
The new Pilot version is heavier. Some like that, some don't. I have both and prefer the Pilot.
I think that the Pilot vanishing point pen, at about $100, is probably the best fountain pen you can get at any price.
I prefer Waterman ink. Waterman ink never clogs up. I have heard that the Pilot/Namiki ink is very good, however.
Pentel makes a spectacular technical pen that has far more utility than the old Rapidograph pens. The ceramic tip, in particular, is far more durable and resistant to clogging, and the pens just don't leak the way older technical pens did. The tip and ink cartridge are replaced together in one unit, so refilling is a snap (literally :))
:)
You can't write quite as quickly with a technical pen, but the line it makes is so precise and clean that it makes up for that limitation. Notes I took twenty years ago are still perfeclt sharp and legible -- if the printing has gotten a little small for my 43-year-old eyes
I can't describe how much I love these pens, you really have to try them to understand.
thad
I love Mondays. On a Monday, anything is possible.
Was it a cheap fountain pen? Most cheap fountain pens are worse than the same-priced gel pens.
Waterman makes a decent pen for under $100.
The best choice is a Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point, also about $100.
No need to go over $100, however.
Actually, Mercedes-Benz cars are famous for their durability and reliability. That's why so many taxi drivers use them in Europe. A Mercedes will easily last 30 years without turning into an eyesore, and until recently, the highest mileage car was a Mercedes (it was superseded recently by a Volvo).
IMHO, erasure is not worth the trouble. Faster to strike out and rewrite. And if you're writing something too formal for striking-out, you shouldn't be using a pencil in the first place.
Lamy Pico is the best pen I have ever had. It fits in any pocket and is very small. I lost mine several months ago and still searching for it :-(
I use the Fountain Pen Hospital for ink supplies. I am not sure if they are the cheapest retailer but they are reliable and I am very pleased with the service.
Personally I like the Cross Ion. It's small, easy to carry, quick to use. As long as you don't mind gel ink, it's great. I've used mine for almost a year straight, and loved it. It's also fun to flip open like a switchblade...
Makes for a good pocket pen, and it really confuses your friends when you hand it to them unopened.
But not all are created equal. Some suck. The best (all of these are black; some come in [many] other colors) are:
These are all nicely writing pens for a reasonable price, but if you want real cheap, get the bics or whatever, and watch your lines skip and scratch!
I take a lot of notes in class, and the Jotter works great for writing on a pad of notebook paper. They're durable (steel and plastic), come with a gigantic ink cartridge (I'm using one now that I've had for over a year, and filled up about three notebooks with), and cheap. Plus, the mechanical action is nice and crisp, and you never get that annoying bend in the cheapo plastic ink tubes that makes the ball receed into the pen.
Before you make a decision to buy a particular type of pen or other commoditized product, please consider the ethical issues.
Good size, rubber grip, med/fine points.
Perfect.
-bZj
.sig
I have been writing with these pens since the mid 80's. The balance feels just right and the ball glides pretty well. The only problem is people keep stealing them. Also, be careful if you fly with these, this is not a safe pen to keep on your breast pocket (insert pocket protector joke here).
I thought I was the only one that was so picky about pens, but a few weeks ago I found a coworker that did just that. When she was in high school she found a specific pen that she liked and that is what she has purchased ever since. Since she is now the ops manager that happens to be the main brand of pen she buys for the office.
Pedro
----
The Insomniac Coder
Please consider the ethical issues before you make a decision about buying a particular type of pen.
I use a bic bottom of the line ball point pen.
> don't take them apart I have been using the G2's for years. Just yesterday I bought another 10 G2-Extra-Fine-Blue refills at the ASU bookstore for $1.95 a 2-pak. Unscrewing the G2, the spring sometimes falls out, and since the refills do not come with springs you need to know to keep it. Other than that, there does not seem to be anything to go wrong in the take-apart (?). The extra-fine-point is worth looking for, it is much better than the standard 0.7 in my opinion.
is the Sanford Uniball Vision, micro point. Well balanced with or without the cap on, perfect weight, nice for a quick jot of a note or good for the long haul. Also, there's a certain sweet spot on this pen where you can scratch off the paint and make a stylish racing stripe. This makes it go faster.
I'm surpised no one has mentioned Cross yet.
I've been using a Cross Century Chrome for nearly 15 years now.
Takes a bit getting used to and it's very slim, so you'd better have small hands, otherwise you get pains in your fingers after say 45 mins of continuous frantic writing....
Only other point is, its refills are expensive, run out quickly and tend to leak if the pen is handled like an object in a back pocket or in a purse/bag....
/. Where the truth
Any fountain pen by Lamy is good, IMHO. Many fountain pen manufacturers make money off the prestige factor -- there are lots of $500 fountain pens kicking about. Lamy, OTOH, tends to produce scads of high-quality, reasonably-priced pens that work just as well (and, as an added kicker, can switch between cartridge and free-flow refill modes). They're a good choice if you want a pen that works very well, but aren't interested in 'signalling' your socioeconomic status by way of said pen.
I recently ran into a professor of mine at the university bookstore's cafe. He was using a Lamy Safari identical (in all but colour) to my own. When I pointed this out, we proceeded to chatter about how much we liked them for a good fifteen minutes or so -- it was like an infomercial or something, I swear.
So again, the breakdown: Lamy Safari: About $30USD. Good Mont Blanc: $500USD.
BTW, lamy pens take 'European' cartridges (which are fairly common in office supply stores, at least in Canada) and work well with bottles of Parker 'Quink' dark blue ink.
- undoware.ca
On break from a conference in Poland I bought a really nice fountain pen for about $15 US made by, I think, Rodwil. Lost it last year, and I haven't been able to find them on the web. Too bad even Germany doesn't appear to import.
Anyone know where I can get these? What I want is a good, cheap fountain.
The mechanism is reliable, it is firm and compact, it writes cleanly for a ball point, and the ink is visible through the cartridge just in case I'm interested. As a bonus, few people I know use this model pen so it's easy to spot mine.
A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
Why the hell should i pay more for different plastic and more marketing?
Before these machines existed, if you wanted a book, you had to write it yourself. For hundreds of years, artists called "scribes" would copy every page in a book by hand, taking care not to make mistakes. It could take many years to write all the pages for just one book.
Practice is essential. The first letters are always rough and crude, but this cannot make the new artist lose hope. Imagine each letter is its own little picture. Emotions are built up from words, words are built up of letters, letters are built up of strokes, strokes are made up of motions. From emotions to motions. The more you practice, the more your thoughts and feelings will shape your writing.
When the words you want to write are so important that you would spend time and energy on each page, good penmanship is very important. May every word you create be beautiful, in both meaning and in lettering.
I didn't keep a copy of the inked version, but I should write it out again with a little more embellishment and flourish, and scan the results.
[
I like the Caran d'Ache Ecridor XS.. Short (easy fit in pockets), weighty (brass barrel), handsome (rhodium plated silver) and easy refills (standard Parker balls). I got mine at ArtLite, where I picked it out after extensive hand-testing (They are in-town for me). The website is pretty decent though, and they know their pens!
-- Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
For the geeks who want a pen in a large chamber, check out the Magnum Ice pens. It's good for those who prefer a larger sized pen, named after a high powered cartridge. Be a man, use a magnum pen. It's the most powerful pen known to man!
SAILING MISHAP
Most of the time I prefer the choice of State Penitentiary residents everywhere -- golf pencils.
Nice minimalist feel.
Sometimes I use a Pelican M800 fountain pen with Green Lamy ink. Good on Crane papers for personal letters.
When I have to write a lot, I use an AlphaSmart 3000 and when I need to Google, OED, and Mathematica, I use a Fujitsu S2010 with WiFi.
Papermate's Liquid Expresso on Ampad Gold Fibre pads feels pretty nice.
Either a plotter, or a robotic arm.
i got the silver version of the free pen from newegg, a pricewatch-advertising computer parts-selling website.
Here! here! to the Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point. I own 3. One medium nib, one fine nib, and one backup. I break pens, often. I used to use a $500+ fountain pen, but after the third break (lifetime warranties don't matter much when the turn around time is 10 weeks from Italy) I decided to get something that was "disposably cheap." These Namikis are killer looking pens too.
They're comfortable, able to be carried like a normal ballpoint (in your pocket), and they're smooth and silk after the first dozen pages of writing.
I would never go back to a ballpoint, except if I _HAD_ to do carbon copies. Luckily, I've found some flexible nibs out there and those allow me to push enough pressure through the carbons even.
Rollerballs are where it's at. I prefer the "fine" variety, but "medium" is also nice. Rollerballs are far superior to felt-tip when you've got any serious quantity to write - felt tips will go dry just as a marker will, quickly, even if it's not entirely out of ink. I find the best kind of rollerball to be the kind with the invisible side, allowing you to see the ink (as opposed to the kind with the absorbant felt material inside). That way, you get more ink to use per pen, and can tell when the pen is about to run dry without opening it up.
.5 no.2 mechanical pencil or two, and black and red rollerball pens whenever I'm expecting to have to do soem writing. I find that, since I infrequently write with such devices, my hand cramps quickly. Switching from a pen to a pencil will sometimes temporarily relieve that tension without limitting my ability to scribe.
Sometimes you'll run into a poorly made variety of rollerball, and it won't write well at too much of an angle, unfortunately.
Personally, I carry around a
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
A retractable ball point with a big fat rubbery grip. About a buck when you buy a dozen at Staples.
Fountain pens are nice, but don't write well on glossy surfaces, or on the signature space on credit cards.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find the Parker Vector Stainless-steel pencil in New Zealand.
bits and peace
Nicholas Daley
The most comfortable pen I have ever used by far is the Penagain:
http://www.penagain.com/
It works right or left handed. It's a dream to use. I highly recommend this pen.
I always keep a fountain pen on my desk. Something romantic about writing with one. I think it helps to ballance the 12 computers running in my office to have an inkwell.
I like Rotring and Inoxcron. Both are great. Mont Blonk is the "Bose" or "Rolex" of Pens. Everyone wants one because they think they are the best, but then you get into them and realize that there are a thousand that are better...and more expensive.
My
I've had *very* bad expierience with Lamy fountain pens. I like their style and their look and feel but I've had so many fountain pens from LAMY and *all* of them have gone blotty and leaking after a certain period of time. Stear clear! Though I gave my wife an LAMY ink ballpoint with autoretracting clip. Pellets are pricey but the pen is actually quite good. :-) It's not what you'd want for long or very quick notes on small space though. :-) The standard american Cross pen body sucks big time though. The brass plating whears of and turns into a green oxidized muck after a time and the whole thing has a really chinzy tin feeling about it. And the clip is like nothing more than stapled on.
Someone mentioned the Pentel and Pilot gel-pens. I'm currently using these and the writing feel they have is one of the best. They come in bazillions of colors (white or bronze glitter on black carton looks ways cool!) but need a little drying time. One of my favourites is a japanese Pentel calligraphy pellet fountain brush! Notes with that one look *really* cool. Pentel is a japanese company, they dig that kind of stuff.
If you want a fountain pen Mont Blanc is top of the line but *very* pricey.
Parker Fountain pens with refiller/built-in-converters (those without pellets) are good and should be easily available in the US.
Apart from LAMY - which you can get converters for so you don't need any pellets anymore - there is two other german manufacturers of fountain pens, Geha and Pelican. Pelican is something like the Mercedes Benz or Volkswagen of fountain pens, depending on the price region you pick. You can get converters for them too. Saves you costly pelleted ink.
But for true geekness *do* check the Cross, or better even, Fisher preshurized ball-points, those the NASA uses since the Apollo missions. They write under water and over head and, guess what, in zero gravity too.
Get the german short version, (Fisher sells them along with their standard lenght post-modern-euro-techno-aluminium variant)
It's of stainless steel and the long cap extends it to full pen length when stuck on the back end. And folded it fits into a PDA sized Filofax. The preshurized pellets/mines should be the same format as in Cross though. But check that. Also by now you can get preshurized pellets/mines in standard ballpoint format to fit your favorite pen body. In germany that is. Don't know about the US. I've only got 2 US pens, Cross preshurized NASA ballpoint (crappy pen, good mine/pellet) and a classy Parker fountain pen with built in rubber-squishy converter (that ones ok but I expect th rubber to get brittle sometime).
Bottom Line Sumary:
Good priceworthy affordable Fountain Pen: Pelikan with extra or built-in refiller/converter.
Good 'cheapo' Ballpoint: Pentel or Pilot Gel or Standard Ballpoint with NASA/Fisher preshurized pellet/mine.
Geek Ballpoint: Fisher NASA Pocket Ballpoint
Good luck.
BTW: It could be german spelling: 'Fischer'. Don't know exactly...
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
I carry one of these. Nice shiny looking aluminum pen. It has a self contained cover that you can take off to extend the handle, so it's a really small pen. It never clogs or anything like that, and contains a near-infinite ink supply. Also, it's refillable.
I generally hate pens (they stop writing) and I lose pencil lead enough to dislike pencils, but this works great!
I have one, and when it was running low THE FREAKING BALL *LEFT* THE BARREL!!! I'm not hard on pens either. Sure, i had a replacement, but it sure makes me wonder if it's gonna throw the ball and leak.
I use one of the Key Grip Corp Tool Pens most of the time for a manual pen. Often I find when working on remote systems I need to make notes on part numbers, or a quick schematic sketch. So far this one has served me very well. The pen cartridge inside the tool is a Space pen and the full retail for this gadget is usually about $25.00 or so. The fact that it doubles as a phillips or standard screwdriver for me is a godsend.
http://www.knifepro.com/brand.asp?MnfID=130
I bought mine at a tool show I was at however this lets you see what you are getting.
My favorite pen was a green ball point pen with a well chewed cap. It was my favorite by default. Any other writing insturment I left on my desk disappeared - probably because I sat in the cube between to the fax/printer/copier station and a conference room.
That cube sucked ass. I'd spend the whole day going from one distraction to the next. Either the guys in the conference room were screaming at each other, or someone was asking me where the toner was kept. Once I had a guy come out of the conference room and use my phone. That I happened to be on hold with the phone in hands free mode didn't seem to matter to him. He just grabbed it and started dialing. Sheesh! some people.
I've a Parker Vector in stainless steel (actually, it's a resin barrel with a stainless steel jacket around it, but it prevents me from destroying the barrel) that I really, really like. It's probably not as nice as a $300 dollar pen, but the Vector doesn't retail for more than $20, and I think I've gotten a very good pen for my money.
Canthros
I prefer the Pentel "5" (now the Sharp Kerry P1035). http://www.pentel.com/products/Main.html (look for the Sharp Kerry on the "automatic pencils" pull-down" after clicking on "writing instruments") I have had a few for *years* and I think they are the best. Good balance, high geek appeal (you can advance the lead with the cap on the back of the pencil), and always good quality.
Leak-after-Ball-Detach - No, I have never had that happen, having gone through maybe 20 refills over the years. With the extra-fine-point, I HAVE about four times expereienced refused to write, although plenty of ink remained. Warming the point with a match did not work. What might have worked would be the right kind of solvent to free it up, must try that next time. Rubbing alcohol maybe, hmm ? Pilot is obviously aware of this ptential-issue, since the refills come with plastic goo over their tips to prevent dry-out. Nearly always however they continue to write until all the ink is gone.
As the supply guy at my work, I have found that the pen that pleases most coworkers is: Blue (so you know it's pen, not printed) Medium Point (faxable/scannable) Retractable (no cap to lose) Gel (no messy leaks) Ball Point (smooth write) With Clip (for your pocket) Rubber Grip (so you don't kill your hand) Replacable Ink (for the earth conscious)
Nobody steals them.
At home I use the Sanford PhD Multi. It has builtin Pen, Pencil and a stylus for my PDA
The Cross Ion pen. Small. Comfortable. Writes well. Looks cool.
So...what is this new technology? Somesort of non-electronic word processor? What will they think of next!?
Karma: -2^0.5 . Mainly due to the imbibing of dihydrogen monoxide
I personally prefer rollerballs to ballpoints, gels, or fountain pens. You can press hard enough to carbon copy, and they're convenient to carry (read: "safe"), smooth, and rich. Of the rollerballs I own (and I own some dozen-plus from different companies), I like the Rotring and Pelikan the most. The Pelikan is the superior ink/delivery mechanism, but you could club someone over the head with most Rotrings -- they're satisfyingly heavy, durable pens. The one pen I haven't tried yet are the Kyocera ceramic rollerballs.
Of course, your requirements for writing implements may lead you to a pencil. I usually use both; I find pencils more useful if I'm diagramming, or scribbling pseudo-code, or what-not. The two best mechanical pencils I've had have been Sanfords -- one a Phd, and the other a Logo4. The Logo4 lasted through my last two years of college (with heavy use in my CS degree), and in the intervening 8 years. Considering that the barrel of the Logo4 is plastic, that's pretty amazing. I have no doubt that a Rotring -- I've never owned a Rotring pencil -- would survive that long, but most of my plastic mechanicals lasted a year at most before something broke on them.
My wife gave it to me for Xmas years ago, and I still have it sitting next to me on my notepad. I use it all the time - for quick stuff it's easier than popping open another xterm and starting vi.
It's not the most expensive pen in the world - about $40 retail for the 10k version I have. FWIW, I do really like how it writes, especially with the medium tip. Anything with less friction and my bad handwriting quickly degenerates into illegibility.
They're a bit pricy at $40 each, but hey, they're worth it (and no where near as expensive as some of those Mont Blancs).
The only trouble is, people rarely need to replace the eraser, so it can be a challenge to find stores that stock them.
I can't say which pen I like best for writing, but I have this great Bic that's perfectly balanced for spinning around my thumb. I can't come close to describing how it's done with just text, but I have this habit of twirling pens around my fingers. It's actually kinda cool, been refining things over a few years. And no, it's not the usual thing between all the fingers that Iceman does in Top Gun.
But the first thing I test when picking up a pen is the spinning balance.
J
I use a Rotring Core. Awesome fountain pen. It's light, durable, ergonomic and comes with a refillable reservoir so you can use bottled ink.
I buy my ink from Levengers (http://www.levenger.com/). They've got all sorts of analog goodies, but they are a bit pricey. They even had a portable, non-electric typewriter a while back.
in MHO are the smoothest, highest quality writing instrument available. I'd recommend something with either an 18K or 14K nib. I have a Mont Blanc fountain pen that was given to me as a gift. The nib fell out after about a year of careful use. Save a few bucks and stick with the Pelikan.
I don't need no estinkin'
Jeepmeister
Learn it
Love it
Live it
You should try some other inks though. I find Lamy Black a bit on the gray side. Aurora Black is very strong.
Noooo...
I bought a bunch of these a couple years ago, and they are now almost all used up. They are truly great. I found a "Sanford Uniball Micro" on the floor somewhere, and it is almost as good...but it would really be a shame if I couldn't find any more of those VBalls...
"(Man) tries to live his own life as if he were telling a story. But you have to choose: live or tell." --Sartre
Curiously, when reading the parent posting, I initially read the first two sentences of the main paragraph, then the quoted material above it, and then the remainder of the posting.
I probably read it in exactly the order in which it was written!
Perhaps the best all-around fountain pen is the Namiki Vanishing Point. For a street price of around $100, you get a nice pen. It has a gold nib, takes both a cartridge or a convertor (for bottled ink), and is a good size (not too large, not to small). It has a very sharp look. I personally perfer the pre-2000 models, but I hear the current ones are pretty good.
Oh! I forgot to tell you the best part. In its own right, the VP is a great pen--perhaps the best to be had for that price point. It earned this on the basis I described above. The really cool thing is, it is retractable--the only retractable foutain pen in current production! So, no cap to have to manipulate. Since I get a lot of golf shirts, it is particularly nice.
A runner up for a fount is a vintage Parker 51. The areometric ones (produced from 1948-1970ish) are generally regarded as the best fountain pen ever. They can typically be had for under $100.
Mont Blanc used to make very good pens. However, as they became hyped as "the best" (a dubious claim to begin with), the quality went down, support became worse, and only the rep had remained. They are said among collectors to have a very brittle plastic (I know from first hand reports), and the service is iffy.
If you need a ballpoint, might I suggest the rotring 600 tri? Two ball points and a
I have been using the space pen for many years now. It is "hands down" the best geek pen.
:)
1) the ink is pressurized, so it writes at angles and upside down.
2) it writes under water
3) it writes on grease.
4) it writes in temps up to 400 degrees f... Boy has THAT been helpfull
5) it is VERY compact/waterproof... it fits neatly in the pocket, and does not EXPLODE when washed MULTIPLE times in the washing machine.
I cannot say enough about how great this pen is (NOTE: there is a space there!!)
P.S. it is $20
It writes decently, and you get a pack of twenty for $.99 if you shop around. I end up losing a lot of them, but it's OK, because at $.05 each I don't miss them.
I've had (and lost) $50.00 pens. The Bic seems to work just as well. And, when they don't, you can snap them in half and throw them away. Great stress relief.
I'm an artist; I've used a lot of different pens over time. One of the ones that's earned a permanant place in my pencil case is the Rotring ArtPen. It's a cartridge fountain pen, runs about $20 at an art store. I love it because it has a really nice balance; it almost vanishes as an interface between my hand and the paper. Get the F, not the EF, as the EF will clog. Unfortunately, I believe they may be discontinued. I have several.
egypt urnash minimal art.
The Cross product line is your best source for a ballpoint, imho - their slimmer models give me effortless usage, and the pen itself has a lifetime warranty...
Go to a local pen shop--one which still advertises that they repair old fountain pens and deals in antique pens. Ask questions (repair history, general background, etc) and write with pens from a number of manufacturers and ages. You'll find what feels good.
Also keep in mind that different pens have different uses:
Fountain pens are great for focused writing, but are only sometimes manageable for general paperwork (and impossible to use on multipart forms!). They flow effortlessly on good paper, but the nibs clog up on sub-20lb bond paper. I happen to like Parker and Waterman, but others like Omas and some (despite poorly manufactured threading on their screw-on nibs) like Mont Blanc. The old Parker Sonnet (before the large gold band) was a joy to write with for long periods. Just keep in mind that fountain pens take a while to get used to: they changed my handwriting from unreadble chickenscratch to elegant and stylistic scrawl in a couple of months. (I'm working on getting it to simply elegant, but I tend to code too much for that to happen).
Rollerballs get some of the flow of a fountain pen, and they do give you some flexibility on which papers you can use it on. I liked the Waterman Expert: thick, light, and stubby.
Ballpoints: well, they are good for multipart forms. Some (like the Uniballs) are good pens for simple everyday uses where you just don't want to whip out your pen. Like around those people you tend to walk away with your pens....
Ultimately, your choice is up to what feels good in your hand and what uses you intend to use the pen for. You may need more than one pen.
See them here: at Staples.
Personally, I carry a Namiki Vanishing Point retractable fountain pen. They run about $100 or so for the entry level. I prefer the black with rhodium, and it's a few dollars more.
While they don't write quite as well as the $500+ fountain pens I have used, they're infinately more convenient, and because they're retractable, you can shove it in your pocket easily. The one thing I've found is that if I buy nice pens, I don't lose them, where-as the cheap Uniball pens, I forget all over the place.
There are those who will say fountain pens are "old fashioned," and they're probably right, but they're easy enough to write with, and honestly, the quality and "feel" can't be beat. When I'm writing, I want decent paper, and a good pen, not some recycled toilet paper and a 5 cent mass produced piece of plastic.
Personally for many years I have written exclusively with fountain pens (I use a Sheaffer and a MontBlanc) in part because I am left handed. Oil based ball point ink seemingly never dries and gets all over my hands while fountain pen ink dries quickly.
I use a Zebra F-402. They're inexpensive, last for years, and every so often it gets a, "Hey, nice pen.". $6.00 for a pack of two.
I'm a 2000 man.
Recently I went to a talk about AMD's new 64 bit processor and they gave out these special AMD pens. These 64 bit pens are at least marginally more effective then earlier and more primitive, lower bit pens, such as those by intel.
I dont do meaning of life questions.
Personally I like the Parker Duofold. Not the regular ones but one of the ones that they made to replicate the signing on the Missouri that ended WWII in Japan. It's heavier than the others. Interestingly it and a number of other pens are not comfortable if you don't put the cap on the end of the pen. The balance and weight is off. I think they are part of the senior line.
The other line of pens I like (far better than Monte Blanc which I hate)is some of the Italian Auroa's To be specific those in the Mare collection
Omas also makes a really nice line of fountain pens, but they tend to be fancier than I like. If you have a small hand try the Namiki's. They are beautiful but to small for my hand.
The Waterman Edson pen has a great feel and it's amazing to write with.
Since I have a tendency to loose pens I usually carry a Waterman Expert which runs around $100 or so. That's the most that in normal usage that I'm willing to take a chance on leaving on someone's desk. It's a little light in terms of the weight but the size is fine. I have it in blue.
For a less expensive pen I liked some of the Lamay's, but they're a completely different look and feel
The only way you can pick the pen you want is to go to a store and try them. Each model is very different. The comment about the Dou Fold is a perfect example. The regular ones are lighter than the older ones. I also prefer the feel of celluloid. I also have a large hand so I like a larger and heavier pen. It's amazing when you pick up the right pen you know it almost instantly and if it's not the right one no amount of label and reputation is going to make a bit of difference
Only drawback is that the tips could break off (poor welding job, I suspect) and that you can't find replacement nibs anywhere. I've got bits and pieces of three separate pens to use as spare parts...
Other pens of choice are the Parker 75, Rotring, and a plastic barreled Lamy Safari. Agree on getting the ink at Fahrney's -- Fountain Pen Hospital is another possibility for supplies (plus having a nice calendar they send you if you order).
I'm partial to the breed of "found on the floor in lecture hall" pens, though I'm especially fond of Bic Round Stic Medium Grip pens, which come in a rather pleasing shade of forest green ink. Not only are they durable, the ink flows smoothly and keeps doing so until the very last drop of it has been spent. I've never had one explode on me, leak on me, or resurface, damaged, after a grueling ordeal of being tossed and crushed about at the bottom of my messenger bag. The rubber grip is soft, and wide, which is good for me, since I don't hold a pen "normally." A pack of twenty runs me about $.99 at Staples, too.
Best of all, they come in green! How cool is that?!
You drink too much coffee, I drink too much stout.
- cheap (10 in a pack [?])
- available (hell, i think wal-mart has them)
- smooth writing feel
- no stupid rubberized or gel casing
- ultra-fine point (i happen to like that)
Someone mentioned smearing; i haven't had a problem with that - guess i don't drag my hand all over the paper.Just my $0.02
--- We are not in the 8th dimension. We are over New Jersey.
Always got low grades in penmanship (yes, they once gave grades for that in elementary and Jr. High) and found it nearly impossible to keep letters at the right slant and height, and, the same distance from the baseline. If I wrote, I could hardly read it 6 months later so I have printed most of my career. My daughter and grandson both write exactly like me. Is poor penmanship genetic?
Can't sleep: Tooth fairy takes tooth. Mom told me there was an arm fairy.
"A pencil even works in a weightless environment, so we are even prepared for the future..."
Thereby condemming the geek future to pens.
I love pens, the problem I have with pencils is they smear so easily, take a piece of paper an draw a line in pencil, and now in pen, let it dry for 10 seconds and rub, the pencil will smear very easily, I write in notebooks all the time in school, and I have learned to use pen, because I have had to re-write notebooks because the first 10 pages were just HUGE grey pencil smear blobs, use pen if you can.
:-P
My favorite pens have to be thick ones, because it's easier to move and because generally they are higher quality. Or just a cheapo papermate that you can get 5 for a buck, mostly because I can't afford the thick ones since I lose them so easily...
We should start a new thread about how to get people to stop stealing your pen
-Vlad902
What kind of world do you live in where you don't have access to a word processor? Are you in the middle of the jungle or something with no shelter, no food, no water and no sunlight to power your photovoltaic cells? God help you, my son.
+1 Insightful, -1 Troll. What can I say, I'm an Insightful Troll.
I haave a schaefer pen, refillable cartridge, it cost me 30.00 usd a few years ago. I use calligraphy ink, jet black. Disadvantages; it may need to have sonic cleaning after 10-15,000 words, schaefer does not reccomend permanant ink and will not warenty the pen.A few seconds for the ink to dry. The good points are; permence, some ball point ink can be chemicaly lifted, so checks can be a security problem. permance, felt pens can be a problem if notebook is dropped in water. I have written 60-75,000 words with mine and I really enjoy the rich black color. I never take this pen outside my home so I do not know what an every day use situation would create. If you want to write with the confidence of permanent this is a totally cool ink.
I eat my grapes at room temperature, cuz the cold ones hurt my teeth
are really good. I know Uni-ball makes them; other companies may make them I'm not sure. I was put onto needle point pens by my History teacher in high school for writing lots of stuff quickly. The needle points require barely any force to move the pen over the paper ( ball points require a bit) so you can write much faster and also your hand doesn't get tired as quickly. Another thing about needle point pens : the ink continues to flow even when the pen is still, which forces you to keep writing (so you don't leave a splotch) OR to take your pen off the page to think properly about what you are about to write.
OK, I admit, I'm a nerd.
I was in Japan and got addicted to "Vcorn" - it's a cheap pen that really writes better than any other I've used.
It's like a Vball, only waterbroof, and oh so cheap. I could get them at DaiMaru for 60 yen. And I bought a few to take back home. But I ran out and missed them - American Vballs aren't waterproof and aren't as cheap.
But luckily I ended up with a Tokyo resident as a high bidder in an e-bay auction. We traded a pair of vintage speakers for enough Vcorn pens to last me to this day.
+++ ATH0 +++
Saw me through 6 years of (pre-computer) college. Nice black ink, same width of line in every direction. Size 0 was the best for taking notes. Need to clean/fill them weekly - it became a Sunday night ritual.
I haven't been able to leave a pen on my desk for five minutes in years without someone stealing it. No one seems to clue that those nice pens I buy are not from departmental stock cabinets, or everyone would already be using them! Then people wonder why I lock everything up in my desk, even when I'm "just" going for lunch.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
If ever you stuck the thing into a wall socket, I'd make you hold on to it.
If you get funny ideas about sticking me with some wimpy little pentel, just forget it.
Tell me some storries about graphite in disk drives. If you mess with MY drives, I'll crack you over the head with my Model M keyboard.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
I prefer the Dr. Grip. It's smooth, and easy to hold (because it's fairly thick and has a soft grip), plus it's refillable. I have both the ball point and the gel. While I prefer ball point, only the gel comes in Charcoal Gray. Kind of expensive though, $5, but well worth it.
I use a uni Signo, made by Mitsubishi, medium size. Fine size tends to scratch the paper even if you dont push it too hard. Medium size works fine. Large size is real sweet and smooth but it's no good for body text because is too thick. Looks good on titles or for making small anotations. Be careful to use a good paper. Many cheap notebooks are too porous. Decent ones feel sort of like "waxed" and they are very good, almost like writing on your Converse All-Stars (aka Chucks) rubber soles with a Bic pen. As good as warm clothes off the dryer, or bursting bubble-wrap.
They are too common, everyone use uses a fountain pen has one.
I prefer DuPont or Yard-O-Lead.
I have been using these for years when a word processor is not available.
Think Different, be different.
My personal choices: Lamy fountain pens, and the Rotring 600 series. Nice, heavy pens with good balance. These can be found along with coloured inks from levenger.com
I've used Mont Blanc's pens and fountains pens for about 20 years now.
For me, the most important factors in chosing a writing instrument are its weight and balance. It can change the way you write.
If I use a Bic pen, I write in a slightly modern version of gibberish. With a Mont Blanc, I can actually read back what I wrote.
And please don't buy the biggest one, as another poster suggested. Mont Blanc usually offers three sizes : small, medium and Humvee. These sizes should not be read as price points; they make these different sizes to reflect the variety of the sizes of hands in nature.
Personally, I use what ever is the current pen in the stationary cupboard at work.
"I propose we leave math to the machines and go play outside" -- Calvin
Is a mighty pen. I'm not sure how much more mightier than the sword, though I'm not rough and tough so I will have to pit wit against sword ...
This pen is classic - torpedo shaped with the widest portion of the pen near the clip and hence where the pen rests in the space between thumb and index finger. This is important when writing fast.
Because it is titanium it is extremely light - but this places a premium on the refills. Always buy Cross refills! That's important with a light pen because it's very easy to push down and tire the hand out - easy to do when so much writing is done with a word processor. I use the ballpoint model.
I have the pen and pencil and each retails for about $110.00 - though there are models starting at around &75.00.
This has been my exclusive pen for three years now. The pen seems to stand up to any weight of paper and the refills are of high enough quality it can draw lines without losing ink on the ballpoint. This is great for making quick workflow and functional drawings on paper. Seems to work on a single sheet on the table or in a notebook with no loss of writing quality.
Cross Townsend Ball-Point Pens.
The Luddites were ahead of their time.
Hopefully my fellow Canadian geeks will find this information useful. First off, I believe in choosing the right pen for the job at hand. Why make compromises?
;).
One rigid rule I have is that mathematics should always be done in pencil (I use a Pentel PW45 Technica-X 0.5mm retractable tip mechanical pencil). If you're still sharpening your pencil, nothing beats Eagle brand pencils -- they're made from soft American wood.
Another rigid rule that I have is to use only Sanford uni-ball Micro/Fine [deluxe] pens for writing on CD-R jewel case inserts (you know, the ones that are semi-glossy that come with the blank disc's case).
In my pocket I always carry a Cross Ion (it's like a much fatter Spacepen) and its best use is for endorsing cheques.
In Canada, having to walk from one building to another on a typical university/college campus means your pens might frost over during the winter months. I have found that most 'off-the-shelf' pens will not survive even a 10 minute walk in our somewhat harsh winter climate, so I began my epic search for the "perfect" pen. Gel pens don't seem to like the cold weather much, and the ink takes a while to get flowing smoothly once indoors. If you must carry a gel ink pen during the winter months, then there are only two choices that won't disappoint you; the first is the Pilot G-TEC-C4 and the second is the Sanford uni-ball Gel Impact RT. The Pilot has a very fine tip and can be used for detailed sketches. The Sanford is the smoothest gel writer available anywhere in this universe. Otherwise, you should take some time and pay a visit to the Planetarium in Montreal, Quebec. In their gift shop is a blue coloured ben with a soft-grip barrel that can withstand -20 below temperatures. On the side is written "PLANETARIUM DE MONTREAL" (that E in Montreal has an accent egout on it) and below that "www.planetarium.montreal.qc.ca". It's a twist-action pen with fake gold trimming and the ink is a deep blue, bordering on purple. If they had their gift shop online, I'd buy a stack of these pens, because they take major abuse and never stop working. A friend purchased mine while he was visiting the planetarium, and I thank him for doing so!
A runner-up to the planetarium pen is Paper-Mate's Flexigrip Ultra Fine retractable pen. They're dirt cheap and have soft barrels. The non-retractable version can be bought with blue, black, red, or purple ink. The retractable one only comes in blue.
If you want a pen that will actually improve your penmanship (or just correct newly formed bad writing habits), look no further than Paper-Mate's 'pen|dulum'. The writing tip rotates as you change your orientation in 3-space and is also bent at a 90 degree angle. I find that the 90 degree bend makes writing easier and drastically improved the legibility of my handwriting.
If you like the Spacepen, but can't afford one, give the Sanford uni-ball Vision Elite a shot. Go ahead, I dare you to use it on an airplane! Not to mention it's only about $3 Canadian.
Lastly, if looking cool is your thing and you want a technically superior pen that any geek would be proud of, pick up the Sanford uni-ball Fusion. The ink is transparent until you start writing. When it hits oxygen a reaction begins that reveals its colour. They come in all sorts of different colours and are extremely inexpensive. The tip is a little too fine for my liking when I consider my daily writing activities, but it performs well for a gel pen and you'll get a lot of questions from co-workers asking you how it works.
It may seem like I have a Sanford bias, but it's just that they keep putting out new pens very frequently. BIC makes these crazy stick-pens called "Twists" and I urge you to run out buy a pack today. They're dirt cheap but have a mesmerizing effect to them when you roll them back-and-forth between your fingers. While you're out, see if your local store carries BIC Cristal pocket pens too. They're just like BIC's classic transparent hexagonal-barreled pens, only shorter, so they fit neatly into your shirt pocket.
Oh, and don't forget to visit the "plane-arium" when you're in Montreal
Why settle for anything but the best system?
The Power Memory System is the best
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
After much research I found that most pen fanatics consider Montblancs over-rated, over-priced and worst of all, unreliable. There are many other fine pens out there, appealing to different tastes and budgets. The best value for my money, which is what I ended up buying, is the Waterman Expert II. Classic design, beautiful finish and craftsmanship, nice weight and balance, and it writes beatifully, too.
the standard blue papermate pens have been my all time favorite pens to write with, assuming you are using general quality paper.
A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over. -Benjamin Franklin
My favorite pen right now is an all aluminum ball point i got at the SGI booth at comdex about 3 years ago. The actual pen itself really isnt anything to write home about (pun intended), i like it simply because it reminds me of the absolutly crazy trip to vegas i had when i got the pen.....and boy was it a CRAZY trip. Hunter S. Thompson would have been proud.
What sucks is that I thought they'd just stopped making them. Knowing that they exist in another country for chump-change, is. . . Annoying.
-FL
I use a nice parker fountain pen. A parker Sonnet Steel Medium Nib. As far as i know it isnt available in the states Or in Canada (Bought Mine In The UK). Its A great pen though only drawback is the old style refil from a bottlefor the ink as i have yet to find a bottles of parker ink in Canada. But i brought back 3 last time i was in the uk I think ill be ok till next years trip.
Black pens are much better than blue in my oppinion. Yet no pens are better!!!
Wierra
I find myself turning more and more to my Lamy Safari. I have the fountain pen, ballpoint, and pencil, and though they were inexpensive, they've worked flawlessly for about four years now. Try Bertram's Ink Well in Baltimore for Lamy supplies. If you're fortunate enough to become addicted to fountain pens, they have a selection of antiques that are wonderfully restored. Just don't carry the old ones on an airplane.
DUCT TAPE: The Election Supervisors' Secret Weapon
I am right handed but I write like a lefty. I've found that generic Bic pens (medium but not fine) are one of the few that don't splotch ink all over the page.
Some expensive pens I've tried won't even produce ink, which reminds me of a funny incident. My boss gave me his expensive pen to use and all I could manage were indentations on the page. I'm not sure either of us quite understood what was going on.
Mario Lemieux
A few years ago I switched to fountain pens. Currently I use Parker Fountain Pens. They are not the best, but they are relatively inexpensive, have large ink cartridges, and work well.
:(
I had a lot of problems with pain in my hands and arms. I would press very hard when writing as I got stressed, and this would aggrivate my pain.
Fountain pens because they work better with a light touch and don't work well at all with a heavy touch. This "feedback mechanism" helped my pain alot.
Of course, they are not perfect... nibs drying out sucks.. and they use ink fast. They don't work at all on carbon copies. I've ruined a couple shirts laundering a fountain pen
But overall, I think they are the best solution for me.
and octopus or squid ink can't be beat... Well, maybe with a porcupine quill.
Oh well, what the hell...
...I, for one will welcome our new Pen Wielding Overlords.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
The Taiwanese have actively stolen American military technology and given it to Beijing.
Sorry if someone wrote on this already, but it's hard to sort through 750+ comments 50 at a time. I own a Sensa ballpoint and mechanical pencil. It is by far the most comfortable pen I have used. The grip conforms to your hand, doing a terrific job of releaving pressure on your fingers. Be sure to keep them in a safe container, as the grip is prone to puncture (I stabbed my ballpoint with my pencil once, and had to shell out $15 for a replacemet. With some searching, you should be able to get each for under $40, or go for the Cloud 9, a less expensive alternative. The ballpoint writes smooth (not as good as a fountain, which I am currently saving up for the Meridian series pen), and the pencil is the best mechanical pencil I have ever used. Go for it, you won't regret it.
--- At my sig, unleash hell.
I worked at a jewelry store that also sold Mont Blanc pens and we always seemed to get lots of returns for them. For one thing they are extremely expensive for what you get, they are fragile, and DO break often. Although I must say a few people got "lucky" pens that lasted for years. But honestly it seemed like 8 out of 10 pens were crap.
:)
After selling them and using them for like 4-5 years, I gave up on them and now I stick to my Dr. Grip's. They are somewhat cheap, less than 20 dollars, and they feel really comfortable in my hand. I especially like the dual pens they have..like the pen/pencil one and the pen/stylus one. They are perfect for school when you try to look cool and only have one writing utensil
-wondergod-
Pelikan 200 with a XF (extra fine) steel nib -- one of the transparent demonstrator models, so you can see how much ink is in it. Mine is graphite gray, it's a nice match for my old graphite iMac. :) It's not too expensive, not too big or heavy (as the collector's pens tend to be), won't dry out when it's not in use, and it writes absolutely terrific with almost any kind of bottled fountain pen ink. The Pelikans also have interchangeable nibs, so if you decide you don't like XF, you can change it out for something different.
I've just blown over an hour of potential sleep-time reading other geek's musing on fountain pens (a recent passion I share). I have two inexpensive Waterman pens (Phileas and Hemisphere) and a Lamy Safari. I've been wanting to try a Pelikan or other "nicer" pen, but I just cannot justify the expense when there are other luxuries calling out to me (new CPUs, food for the kids, etc.) My question is, "Are there any shortcuts around paying $100 to $300 for pens of that calibre?" I'm not interested in $4,000 diamond studded pens. I guess I am wondering if there are ever "deals" to be had on medium priced pens.
My favourite pens are the Rotring Trio series. Look here.
.7mm lead which I find is a bit more durable. (I write rough.)
.5mm pencil. I use the Fisher Space Pen refills in all my multipens, which I found here.
The Trio 600 Multipen is a machined hunk of brass and aluminum. It has a really impressive heft, and feels good in my hand. It's a big, heavy pen, but I like it a lot. One of the two inks can be replaced with a stylus point, and the pencil is a
The Quattro Executive is also a great pen. I carry mine with two colors of ink, and a stylus point, along with the
The regular Quattro is not nearly as well made as the other pens. It's also very light and rattly. I don't care for it at all.
I once owned a Yafa trio pen that was similar in appearance to the Rotring 600, but it wasn't nearly as hefty, and it was rattly like the Quattro.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
I use two:
A 1953 pelikan 140, which is lovely, even for this lefty. And a handful of Mongol Fs and 2.5s, the last of my jealously guarded stash.
I collects pens and fountain pens are the best writers by far. You cannot match the feel and flow of a good fountain pen. Many people have mentioned Mont Blanc and I agree they do suck. Here's why. They have the same problem most modern pens have-poor inkflow. If you look at the end of a Mont Blanc cartridge or bottle converter you'll notice the hole is pretty small. Both ink and air must get through that hole which prevents the ink from flowing as well as it could/should. Also Mont Blanc strictly controls the pricing of their pens (no warrenty if you don't pay full retail from an authorized dealer) which causes their prices to be much higher than the competition. And yes, they are brittle and crack easier than most brands. Good brands to try which don't have inkflow "starvation" problems are Pilot/Namiki-the Falcon is especially interesting with it's soft nib/tip, Pelikan (only bottle fillers the cartridge ones have the inkflow problem), Sailor and Omas (again bottle fillers only). Something to note is Both Namiki/Pilot and Sailor have mush higher quality control for their nibs (which is the tip you write with) than all other modern brands. Also most pens which fill only from the bottle don't have inkflow problems which includes many older pens which can be easily found on ebay. The Parker 51 is a popular and inexpensive find on ebay. It may need some minor reconditioning considering they were manufactured anywhere from the 40's to early 70's. (Don't buy the modern 51's, like Mont Blanc they look good but they suck). If you become as obssesed as I am with nice pens you will find my recommendations quite enjoyable. :)
I write fairly small in my journals, so I spent a lot of time trying out nibs looking for a fine line that still had a degree of dynamic expression. My favorite everyday nib is the Hunt#104, a lithography grade nib which can produce lines as fine as the crosshatching you see on currency, while also being able to dump out a .5mm thick line. This range is perfect for the size of writing I do.
When I am sketching I like something that can go a bit wider. While initially a very tricky nib to get a hang of, the Gillot#659 quick became my favorite. It can produce a fine line that is on par with most "marker" style technical pens, while putting out thick 2mm lines.If I want to get an even bolder line, the hefty Gillot#404 serves well.
The actual nib holder is mostly up to preference. After finding one that will fit the nib of choice, that is. Personally I like things with a smaller grip. The Mitchell Mapping holder fits both the H104 and G659, and has a thin, light feel to it with a nice swell at the grip to fit the hand. Koh-li-noor's black wood nib holder (not sure of the name) holds the larger nib styles I use, and while it is a bit thick for my taste, I like the general balance and heft of it.
That of course leaves ink. There are many hundreds of styles just within the "black ink" range to choose from. Generally, non-waterproof inks work better with finer nibs, as waterproof inks are thicker and tend to clog things up quickly. The same goes for quick drying variations, for obvious reasons. The biggest drawback to non-waterproof, other than the obvious, is that they are not quite as durable under the hand. Lines that have already been penned generally have to be protected by a light cloth. They also do not dry as darkly in most cases. Waterproofs can work with the larger nibs, however, though I still prefer non-waterproof. For black ink, I prefer J. Herbin's Perle des Encre, which is a bit expensive, but well worth the cost. It dries slowly, meaning you can keep a loaded nib for minutes on end. Inks that dry faster require constant rinsing or re-dipping, often times at 20 to 30 second intervals. With J. Herbin, I can keep a pen sitting beside my book for around five minutes before it starts to clog. Of course, the slow drying time means you have to be more careful with the lines you have already written.
For sepia ink, I like the naturally derived Walnut brand. It dries artistically, and handles itself well, as the Herbin does. Inks I stay far away from are the cheap brands you find in typical "hobby and craft" shops. Many of these inks are designed for airbrush use also, which requires much less room for error as far as delivery equipment is concerned. Another brand I steer clear from is Winston & Newton. I have found their inks to be a clogging nightmare. Mixing your own inks using Japanese Sumi ink sticks in a stone grinder can be a lot of fun, but these inks are really designed for brushes.
The last, and most important consideration for ink, is the longevity of it. Herbin's black inks are rated very highly in this regard. Undergoing tests where written pages are set in the sun for years, Herbin holds up very strongly against competitors (but their coloured inks do not fare as well as other brands for some reason). Sitting in the sun for a year is equal to decades inside the closed pages of a book, and thus it can be considered "archival" quality.
I am always on the lookout for improvements though. This t
V
As for handwriting... they forced me to learn and use cursive all throughout elementary school. When I reached a grade level where it was not mandatory, I switched back to printing. I just prefer it... and I always get compliments on my penmanship.
- Greg
Start a happiness pandemic
I used to have a Schaeffer cartridge fountain pen that dated back to the 1950s... but through the late 1990s it became harder and harder to find cartridges, and well, now its near impossible.
Today my favorite pen seems to be the Sanford "Liquid Expresso." It's got a nice wide body, so it has some of the tactile feel of a fountain pen, but its also rather nice and lightweight and has a great fine-line tip. It writes with nice bold, clean looking lines. And unlike similar types of pens, the cap actually stays on firmly... loose caps always annoy me. The only downside is that the ink can be a bit bleedy on some types of paper like really cheap notebook paper or super absorbent papers.
Sure, they tend to be a little fatter than most pens, but I tend to prefer a nice ho made foutain pen, particularly if i be da ho what made it.
xScruffx
My friend had one of those pen/pencil combos... he adamantly referred to it as the Pennncil. Emphasis on the fact that it wasn't just the pencil, but was a pen too.
He was so proud of the pennncil and he showed it to everyone. I used to make fun of him behind his back for being such a nerd about it
but now I look before me realizing I'm in a forum discussing pens. What goes around comes around I think.
Partial Credit: The Engineer's Best friend
"Well, the bridge didn't fall all the way down!"
It is the perfect pen, I have had mine since 1982, works perfectly, never leaks and is quiet and understated. Best pen I ever bought.
Pilot Pens and Mechanical Pencils. Gel or Roller Ball pens. B leads for the mechanical pencils.
I know the dark truth people are turning to computers just so that they can hide their hideous handwriting.
P.S: The Handwriting truth is out there... on the wall..
resurrect my
I too have an aluminium Lamy - a nice pen but a bit slow. For those high-performance writing sessions I use my parker - also fountain pen, but with a smoother (gold) nib. Works a treat.
I think you mean Rapidograph and not Rapidgraph (just a Google suggestion, and most places to order online seem to use that spelling with an "o" as well)
is the best ever.
Nothing beats the feel of a wooden pencil. Not the mechanical type, but the type that you use with a sharpener.
You write, rub, cancel. At the end, zap it to prevent fading.
Combines the best of old and new technology
It writes nice, but I haven't went to wal-mart yet to see if refills are available for it (it was a gift).
is a fine pen and my current favorite. For a $2 pen it writes very well and the ink seems to resist fading.
I use a Parker 45 foutain pen. Comfortable, neat, robust and non-pretentious. Also, becuase it's a fountain pen, others don't tend to "borrow" it.
return 0; }
They weren't fourteen years ago (or was it fifteen?) when I got mine - best ink flow and smoothest nib I had ever tried. It is still going strong today, so I've had no reason to change.
I have only used Mont Blanc Ink in it; perhaps that makes a difference.
... been a Quill. Truely.
Can anyone recommend anything along these lines?
Rapidographs with India inks are very archival (museum favorite) and can produce lines of any thickness, but I am afraid of having one on me when flying -- it seems even less leak-resistant than a fountain pen.
-- Stanislav Shalunov
NASA: We spent $1million developing a pen to write is space, in zero gravity, upsidedown and on a variety of surfaces. What do you guys use and who much did it cost?
Russia: A pencil.
___FutureShoks___
Since I got it, I almost exclusively use it. It has both a ballpoint and a pencil in it. No need to carry around two things.
-- The Internet is a too slow way of doing things, you'd never do without it.
The last mont blanc I saw in a shop window was over 4000 euros. That seems a bit much for a pen! Mind you, there was a watch for 15000 euros also so maybe it was just an expensive shop. I wonder how much their staples and paperclips cost.
I love my Al Lamy fountain pen too, :(
:'( Graz, I miss you
I use Fountain Pen Hospitalto get ink for it.
It does stink having to order it though;
I miss being able to pick some up on
Jakominiplatz on the way to the Uni though
i still like using a pencil. i like the fact that its:
1. erasable
- for whenever i make a mistake.
2. sharpenable
- for whenver i need a break from what i'm writing.
3. breakable
- for whenever i get angry and need to break something (and that something has to be cheap), or whenever i want to impress kids with my super human strengths.
plus, i feel that having an eraser at one end makes a pencil easier to spin on like a drum stick.
...on the situation
one size most definitely does not fit all situations
"we demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!"
Is not Slashdot "News for nerds"? As I remember, one of the "badges" of a nerd is the writing implements he carries around. Sure, many go for quantity while others go for quality. I guess in my opinion the ultimate nerd's writing instrument would have to be the goose quill, but there's quite a knack to using one of those...
I buy them by the dozen. The price of the F-301 determines where I will be buying most of my other office supplies. It also helps that the director of Desktop Support where I work gets free Zebras (her favorite pen) when she asks if anyone has a pen on them.
The higher-up model, the F-401 costs about twice as much but is a bit heavier, I carry one or two of those in my breast-pocket and use them for myself only.
These are seriously rugged pens, the fine point is great for use in a tech environment where we often need to jot notes in margins or inconspicuously mark hardware. I've found that they work pretty well horizontally and even at upside-down angles (mostly when they're 'fresh').
"Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
Lamy pens are very nice -- if you like rollerballs, they do one (the Swift) where the retraction mechanism also controls the clip at the top, so when you write with the pen the barrel is completely smooth, then when you retract the nib out pops the clip. Not only is it cool, it also makes it impossible to put the pen in your jacket pocket with the nib still out, saving you $$$ in cleaning bills!
As for fountain pens, I rate wieght and width highly. Skinny pens give my fingers cramp after a while, and the weight means that the ink will flow without you having to press down at all.
If you like modern design and are willing to spend $100+, go for the Lamy 2000 -- Apple would have called it the iPen. Despite its name, it was designed in the 1960s when it must have looked incredibly futuristic. It's made from textured black metal and shaped in a continous dart form like one of those early visions of moon rockets (think Tintin on the moon), just the point of the nib is exposed. The barrel also has a translucent section for checking the ink level, and best of all you don't need to open up the pen to refill it -- just stick the nib in an ink bottle and twist the top to suck it up. Of course, it's not cheap, but as good pens go it's not a rip off either.
Unfortunately I lost that pen a while back and can't afford another, but I've found a good substitute made by Tombow. Tombow's a japanese (?) pen maker with a great eye for simple design. My current pen is made from solid brushed steel. Not only is it heavy, it's almost indestructible -- since the upper part of the barrel is a single piece of metal, I use it to stir drinks, even hammer in small nails! It's so finely machined and weighted that one quick flick of the wrist is all that's needed to unscrew or screw back the barrel. Another nice touch is a band of black rubber where you hold the pen, that makes it a joy to hold.
If you do a lot of writing by hand, definitely invest in a good pen. When the ink flows easily, so do the words.
The author of this post asserts his moral rights.
After careful evaluation of the competitors, I now exclusively use Pilot V Ball Pen 05 (5 mm, black/blue/red).
Pentels are quite nice; rollerball, liquid ink, come in some slightly unusual colours. Although I wrote my final year design project at university using a fountain pen with an italic nib. Oh how my hand hurt afterwards.
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
Best value for money is a Chinese Mont Blanc copy, cost you less than a dollar each, it is not as good as the original but is quite close, and comes in much more interesting colour variations :-)
High-end Parkers -- not Vectors -- are reliable, agreeable pens. If you don't want cartdriges prices nor the mess of ink bottles, get a Schaffer snorkel (PFM) from eBay, they get their ink from the bottle thru a retractable tube that keeps the nip clean.
Leandro Guimarães Faria Corcete DUTRA
DA, DBA, SysAdmin, Data Modeller
GNU Project, Debian GNU/Lin
The Sheaffer PFM (Pen For Men) is the obvious choice. 50's technology at its best.
I collect fountain pens and pencils, and I taught myself an Italic calligraphic style of writing several decades ago, which I have never regretted. I believe that the brand and make of writing instrument best for you will depend entirely on your reasons for buying it. I warn you that I am a collector and tend to buy pens and pencils costing at least $100 apiece (current U. S. list prices), and usually at least triple that.
Several people have commented on the non-utility and beauty of fountain pens. Undoubtedly the most lavishly beautiful but non-functional fountain pens made today are the collectors' editions by Montblanc, ranging in price upwards from $500 or so, at discount, in the United States. I own several collectors' editions by Montblanc, and they are a joy to see and handle. However, I would not advise actually writing with a Montblanc, since every single Montblanc that I own leaks, from their bottom-of-the-line fat cigars (I own two) to my collectors' edition Hemingway (a gorgeous ink sieve.) Carrying a filled Montblanc fountain pen is a great way to ruin your clothes. The Montblanc rollers, ballpoints, and pencils that I own never worked well for me in daily use either, since they also tended to be fragile and difficult to buy supplies for. Montblancs are more "collectable" than the other brands I will mention, so it is easier to re-sell them, I have been told. Montblanc is a foolish choice for a calligrapher, a P. T. Barnum high-price-tag brand, in my opinion.
The most beautiful fountain pens made--that actually work--are Pelikans. I own a couple of very expensive Pelikans ($1000 range at discount in the U. S.), and these collectors' pens also are completely functional and virtually leakproof. However, I do not recommend Pelikan's ballpoints, rollerballs, or pencils, since mine have proven to be fragile. Also, I have sometimes had some trouble in obtaining refills in the U. S.
My favorite brand of working writing instruments is Parker. Parker fountain pens are beautiful, not overly ornate. Every single one I own works flawlessly. Parkers' rollerballs are the best I have ever used. I am not a big ballpoint user, but the ballpoints I own by Parker also serve when needed. I also use and love their high-end automatic pencils.
My current favorite writing instrument is a Faber Castell automatic pencil that cost me $100, full list U. S. price. Other brands of fountain pen that I have enjoyed actually carrying and writing with are Conklin, Delta, and Aurora--all good functional, real, working fountain pens.
gday. i worked for a Pen Shop (yes they do exist and sell exclusively pens up to $50,000!!) for several years and can offer pretty good opinion on pens. First out... Mont Blanc are a wanker's status symbol and a crap pen...we know it, they know it, but damn it sells well. If you are a ballpoint user go for a Cross or a Waterman (excellent), Lamy, Fisher Space Pen (personal favourite), or a Rotring. If you like fountain pens, definately head more towards the Waterman or the Montegrappe...but they can be pricey. If you are a pencil man, then Faber Castelle, Lamy or Rotring are excellent. These i recommend because of weighting, ease of writing, value for money, and excellent warranty. I'd generally say spend up to $250US will still result in quality for money...after that it's artwork, silver, brandname, prestige...etc... enjoy! PS Personal use : Space Pen. writes anywhere. kicks ass for engineers. Otherwise a Montegrappe Heritage is my point of choice!
http://www.spacepen.com/
Writes in zero gravity/upside down, in freezing cold , under water but best of all...
Can fit inside your front pants pocket (for when your shirt has no front pocket).
Oddly enough, it was a Seinfeld episode that turned me on to these.
You should really look in to the Pendulum Pen. In addition to being contoured for easy grip, it has a rotating point that's angled. You'll find a photo and description at: http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_ id=7987
Smooth, last for EVER, sturdy metal construction, cheap refils (about $1 each), about 3 bucks each pen, and they look GREAT.
"The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley..." - ROBERT BURNS
i use whatever pen is available, i write so rarely (math class i use a pencil, only thing to use there) i do carry a pen with me out of convenience, it can vary depending on what i can grab on my way out the door. i type an average of 45 WPM with only ONE HAND, my left hand to boot, granted i do make a few mistakes here and there and have a tendency to murder my keyboards. unlike most geeks i know, i have small fingers, and, since i type one-handed anyway i have an easier time with small keypads and such than most, in fact, i'm much more at home on a laptop keyboard than i am a standard sized one. Oh well, back to the pens, no real comment here, my handwriting has been called heiroglyphic, chicken-scratch, etc. though it is distinctive (anyone who's seen my handwriting instantly knows it's from me.)
Logistical Chaos Officer http://www.slagg.org - LAN Gaming in Sarasota FL,USA
Gee, if only there was some kind of searchable, massive collection of computers that were all hooked together somehow, and contained this kind of information. If businesses were a part of it, it would be even better.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Handwriting is turning into an art if I have to believe the posts. Too bad. I also learned handwriting with an old fountain pen. I can still remember learning different styles of writing (as opposed of kids today learning different fonts;)). Calligraphy was just as natural and took a few hours to learn. Unfortunately, I don?t come around to that past few years.
I?m curious to see the state of handwriting in 10-15 years from now. Will it be a respected art only a few older ppl and hobyists posess? Dreadfull thought.
To answer the question, I use a Waterman fountain pen. It?s not as comfortable as a Lamy or some of those newer Parkers, but it makes you work and learn to write well. When mastered that, you can write well and faster than with other fountain pens IMHO.
Hmmm... yes I use VIM also.
Ciao! -MJ
I use Sakura micron pens. They are as tough as they come, and much cheaper than high-end pens and come in various tip sizes, making them great for illustration. If you are concerned about grip size, then checkout their 'sumo grip' pens.
Heute die Welt, morgen das Sonnensystem!
I have some friends who make pens from various materials; various different hardwoods, plastic resins and even elephant tusk.
I had one made out of walnut - and defined the shape to fit my hand. The pen uses regular Cross pen refills. He also made me a PDA pen out of desert ironwood, and a pen for my wife out of Lake Superior drift wood (old wood that has been in the frigid deep waters of the lake for several hundred years - real tight grains and very hard) for my wife.
Lodragan Draoidh
The more you explain it, the more I don't understand it. - Mark Twain
Parker pens are my preference. I've been using them since University. In particular, the Parker Frontier with the translucent plastic body and the rubberised lower third (for grip). Unlike metal-bodied pens, this pen is not cold to the touch. It looks kick-ass, isn't expensive, and is easy to hold (with the rubberised grip). And it comes with a lifetime guarantee!
I have two Frontiers - one ballpoint and one fountain. They come in a small plastic case which has fittings for both pens, the users' manual (!) and two additional fountain pen ink refills.
Ink is as important as the look and feel of the pen. Ever looked closely at ballpoint ink as the pen moves over the paper? Usually it's criss-crossed with little white lines due to ball imperfection or the ink hasn't transferred properly. That's annoying, and it looks terrible, but the Parker ink refills I use don't exhibit that problem.
The fountain pen seems to gobble up ink. I use it rarely and I have to put in a new cartridge pretty much every time I write with it. That's a sure sign that I should use the fountain pen more. It needs a new nib anyway. I've had the nib completely to pieces and it is astounding how much ink is inside.
For me, despite my appalling handwriting, the benefits of using a bit better than the typical throwaway pen are clear: I always know where my pens are; on the rare occasion I let people borrow them I make sure I get them back; the quality is better and I have a carrying case.
In situations where I can't bring my frontiers, I prefer a throwaway Papermate Flexgrip fine, because the ink is alright.
Like most I've acquired a collection of hundreds of junk pens over the years; unlike most they've been centralised into a few tins full of pens. Whenever anybody suggests buying another junk pen I merely have to shake a tin full of pens at them to drive home the point that we don't really need yet another junk pen.
I've tried most types. Rollerballs were all the rage when they were developed but I think they're worse than ballpoint - the thinner ink and lower friction on the ball emphasizes every poor writing movement. Gel ink rollers seem terrible as well. Bic style ballpoints with thick ink (particularly black ink) require a lot more pressure and - as a previous poster pointed out - tire the hand correspondingly more. Ultra-fine markers with felt tips (e.g. Pilot) are alright; certainly no worse than ballpoints despite being writing by scratching. Fountain pens are nice for making well-formed wide strokes but a bad nib (like mine) makes it scratching. Pencils, particularly clutch pencils, require more pressure - good for drawing of course, but not good for me.
Choice of paper is important too. I use unlined art diaries (double-ring bound) for permanent notes, and a tear-off pad for jotting. The art diary uses 110gsm acid-free paper, and it was chosen because it gives a good result with the fountain pen. Certain types of paper will cause the fountain pen ink to run, or too-smooth paper will mean that the ink doesn't sink into the paper enough and smudges. The double-ring bind means I can open the pages 360 degrees with no sticking. I rarely tear out pages because the book is intended for a permanent record of whatever.
The jotting pad is intended for very temporary use - by throwing away each page as soon as possible after it is written. Otherwise I'd be eventually buried in small scraps of paper.
Post-It notes are verboten here: if it's something I need to do, then it must go into my computerised todo list. If it's something I need to remember, then I have a system for that too. They're too small for effective note jotting and the adhesive on the back becomes ineffective after a few stickings. They're also a nuisance to shred.
All temporary writings are shredded before they go into the garbage. It's just basic maintenance of privacy. It's very unlikely that somebody is going through my garbage in par
is the Sanford uni-ball ONYX micro. It's a .3mm ballpoint with great black. Scans and faxes very well.
:/
That said, I _did_ buy a calligraphic pen w/several nibs and a bottle of ink at Buckfast Abbey in June. Haven't used it yet.
But then, I never write anyway.
a zebra m-102 pen is the greatest pen ever invented! go shell the $3 for one and be happy!
you're sad
If all you need is a refill, you can try Levenger (www.levenger.com) or, my favorite, Fahrney's Pens (www.fahrneyspens.com). I don't know if you use the rollerball or the fountain pen but if you have the fountain pen, it comes with an adapter. I have a real fondness for Fahrney's house inks, especially the classic blue-black. On another note, if you like cheap rollerballs and blue-black ink, the new Uniball Visions have a clear ink that turns to blue-black when you write. Lovely result. There really are times when the most productive way to get a thought out is with pen and paper and there is no reason the act of writing shouldn't invoke the senses. Happy shopping and happy writing.
My spelling stands corrected. The RapidOgraph pen did NOT have a built-in spell checker.
The big minus is that you can't press down hard enough to make copies, but the plus is that it feels sooo nice. And I get to spend ten minutes cleaning it every few months, which satisfies some weird geek urge.
For most purposes, my favorite is the Pilot G-2 gel roller. There are a few cases where that won't work, though -- mostly dealing with things like rebate forms where the paper won't absorb the ink, and it takes too long to dry. For those cases, an extra-fine-point Sharpie marker is indispensable.
Of course, it's also good to have a full set of whiteboard markers and a few traditional wood pencils around :)
Personally, I love papermates, they have some good products.
:)
and no, i dont work for papermate
Welcome to the End
Is poor penmanship genetic?
Not necessarily. I write neatly. (Not just my own opinion -- other people tell me that.) My kids write scribble-scrabble.
I think it's because not enough time is spent in elementary grades stressing penmanship. There is so much else to learn these days.
I've come to use a simple Parker Jotter (a basic retractable ball-point) because of my particular needs.
1. I write like a left-hander, dragging the side of my hand across the page as I write. So I need an ink that will not smear at all. Very few pens fit this criteria.
2. I often don't have a shirt pocket, but want to carry a pen. (Partly for reason 1.) The Parker Jotter is solid stainless steel and won't break when I sit on it.
3. If I carried an expensive pen around, I'd be likely to lose it eventually. The Parker Jotter costs less than $5, so I can buy several of them and not worry too much if I lose a few every year.
4. The Jotter fits my hand fairly well. It could stand to have a softer grip, but I don't usually write that much. (My gets pretty tired if I write a lot, mainly because I hold the pen wrong.)
I don't expect most people to have these same requirements, but I find that the Jotter is the best fit for my needs.
Software sucks. Open Source sucks less.
No [sic] needed - rephrase the question and the "do" makes more sense than the "does" would - The geeks do use what pen?
I'm afraid I'm getting old, but my favourite is a Parker 51 fountain pen my father gave to me in 1969.
Old, but still the champ!
Cheers,
I can enthusiastically endorse this classic from the past. It's also my Slashdot nickname. These pens were made in the tens of millions, and are virtually indestructible, so it is quite easy to find serviceable examples as many as 30, 40, or even 50 years old. Users will rave about them in much the same way as owners of the original VW Beetle, or (more apropos for Slashdot) the architects and users of the MIT Incompatible Timesharing System, for their elegance in design, reliability, and simplicity.
I own many pens, but my Parker 51, bought in 1997 for about $50 from an antique pen dealer, is the one that usually winds up in my pocket, or is reached for when I need something to write with. Features of this pen include:
- Made of very durable, modern lucite plastic
- Modern barrel design with hooded nib (combining both style and function as the hood keeps the ink wet on the nib)
- Simple, rugged aerometic filler in the Mark II version (basically a built-in eyedropper made of a flexible material known as "Pli-Glass"); Just dip the point in a bottle of ink, squeeze the bulb 4 times, wipe off the point, and keep writing.
- A collector feed to buffer ink to prevent skipping and uneven flow.
A fair number of them, in various barrel colors and cap metals, can be found for sale at any given time on EBay.I use a couple of better-than-Bic pens. One's a fountain Parker, which is okay, but it ruined my shirt a couple of weeks ago when it dribbled ink. Boy, was I bummed.
Now I use a Sensa pen. They run about $50, but they write well, take most any cartridge insert, and they have this squishy grip that's super comfortable. I don't do a *lot* of writing, but when I do, I like to do so comfortably. The Sensa gets the job done, and it's entertaining and all, too.
One tip - At least in some areas refills are hard to find, so when you find some, buy an entire box (I think there are 20/box).
Laws affecting technology will always be bad until enough techies become lawyers.
Since they are allegedly made in Japan, they are probably sold all over the place. In that case, I strongly advise you to get a 0.5 or 0.7 tip pen. Very comfortable to write with, and come in a variety of colors. One minus, they use completely liquid ink, so leakages can be a problem if they happen.
Yet, there's no need to "provide them with money". The Taiwanese earn plenty of money in China. The Taiwanese have invested more than $100 billion into mainland China. 50% of Taiwanese businesses now have a branch in China.
Please read "Reality of Taiwan".
Humph! All this about pens and not one mention of Veet Voojagig. I'm disappointed in you!
"Information wants to be paid"
www.levenger.com
---snip
:)
Take all your candidate pens and make a test mark (sign your name or whatever) on several types of paper that you typically use.
---stuff removed
Tape these papers to a window or somewhere else where they will get direct sun. The back window of your car will do too.
---snip
Maybe something other than your signature would be a better choice left taped to your car and driven all over town for a month?
I haven't written in cursive since 4th grade. It is a total waste, why do they even teach it?
all-caps printing (like many other techies use) works extremely well for me, stays totally readable, and looks far nicer IMHO.
A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God.
You're fat and stupid. You smell like a goat's ass, and your face is so horrible that not even the blind can escape its overpowering foulness.
Such as the Koh-i-noor Rapidograph. Size 0 is ok by me, but those write really small may want 000. Excellent construction, and refillable.
I am a huge fan of the Pilot Precise V5 extra fine rolling ball. I buy the 5 pack with red, blue, green, black, and purple. They work great!
i just set one of thies up for my boss and its huge. Let me say again this pen is > its probably 1 inch where you grab it to write with.
My favourite:
http://www.lamy.de/img/produkte/014.jpg
I carry one on me all the time and buy 5 packs at office depot.
A few weeks back I had the joy of watching a sofar (Jewish scribe) working on making a Torah scroll with a goose quill. It was amazing, even if it is not something you would use for day to day work.
Erlang Developer and podcaster
The Pilot G2 05, .5mm fine point. Awesome pen. The 07 is good too, but I'm a fine point snob. :)
"Settle down, Beavis. We've got an experiment to do."
Shhhhh!
:)
My plan was to drive around with a hand held scanner and collect these things.
coloradopen.com is a nice online retailer for fountain pen stuff. Currently, I am using my Lamy Safari a lot -- I think it's the slightly cheaper version if what was described by the poster. I've also got a Pelican Pharo and a Namiki (Pilot) Vanishing Point (retractable fountain pen -- and the Namiki nibs are really fine).
As a journalist who takes prolific notes, Pilot BP-S medium point pen is by far the smoothest cheap pen on the market. If you can write as fast as this pen will let you, you can get every word down. Never had a leak, not much gets on the hands. Good pen. Good luck.
I've loved these extra fine point roller ball Pilot Explorers ever since I first discovered them around 1994 or so. The large diameter and sculpted grip make it very comfortable. For the longest time it was the only rectractable roller ball I could find.
I rarely find these in stores, even the big office supply chains. Instead, I've had to order them online. They're not the cheapest pens, but to my hand they're worth the cost. They make nice order fillers when bumping up an order total to take advantage of free shipping or coupon codes.
Living in a smaller (~50-60k people) university town, it's almost impossible to get a decent pen at a stationery store. As a result, I'm forced to rely on one kind of pen, and it has served me well. In almost all circumstances, this is the only pen I will use. In university, on one occasion when I discovered I'd forgotten them all at home, I bought a new one for $4 instead of borrowing one from a friend. I always keep them with me in case I need to use one, and the only time I ever don't use it is when I need to sign something that makes more than one copy (visa reciepts for example).
Because it's a gel pen, you can write very quickly and (once you get the hang of it) precisely, without the friction of pressing down on the paper. Last year I managed to take notes for a few minutes without being able to feel the paper under the pen. Less friction means less arm/wrist strain, which is good for anyone who types or writes a lot.
In short, always use gel or fountain pens. They're good, and worth the money. Compared to bic pens which, while good, usually start to choke and die after about 1/2 of the ink is gone, and are also easily stolen, the pens I have (and the fact that I use them exclusively) display an aspect of my character, and people know whose pens they are if they fall out of my pocket (happens sometimes). Handy.
--Dan
It seems that all the cheap pens are made in Japan ?